I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Back in the past.
Sif was on her path to the cave that Fenrir was currently using as his home. After informing the other sacred beasts and the elf monarchy about Fenrir, she was entirely responsible for watching over him and seeing that he never comes back if he leaves or helping him get accustomed to life in the realm.
"If he becomes a problem, you know what to do. We fully trust your judgment on this affair." -Titania of the Shinning Light.
"If he stays is also your responsibility to make sure that his enemies outside the realm don't bring problems to our realm. As a sacred beast, your job is to protect this realm above else." -Oberon of the Embracing Night.
The other beasts share similar stances concerning the mysterious Fenrir. He was a creation made for war, and even though nobody wanted to judge him based on his creator's intended purpose for him, Fenrir choosing to cause chaos outside the realm meant that he would be a liability for them. They couldn't offer asylum to problematic individuals, even if they felt sorry for the wolf.
"Some gods created a life for the wrong reasons. It is up to their creations to choose the path forward." Sif continued forward for a bit longer until she reached her goal.
In front of the entrance to the cave, several squirrels were bringing extra leaves and green paste to treat Fenrir's injuries once more.
Sif approaches the squirrels. "How is he?"
The squirrels make several squeaks before they act the actions of Fenrir for her.
"So he has followed all of you to find food and hasn't moved too far from the cave. So lots of sleep and not too much exploring. Has he eaten any meat?" Sif asks the squirrels.
The squirrels shake their heads before acting again to describe to Sif how Fenrir went fishing instead of going after other prey.
"Fish. Is he feeling worried about hunting other animals? Maybe it is for the best. There are enough fishes to feed him. Well, let's see what's going through his mind."
Sif enters the cave with no fear in her eyes as she feels no bloodlust coming from inside it. It doesn't take long for her to find Fenrir resting in the cave's depths. "Nice to see that you haven't been causing chaos. How you're doing, Fenrir?"
"... Lost and still in pain," Fenrir admits with visible pain.
"Don't worry. The paste will heal all of those nasty cuts soon. Give it a day or two, and don't worry about taking a bath. The paste won't dissolve in water." Sif says.
Fenrir's ears pop up for a moment. "Bath? What's that?"
Sif was a bit taken aback by the question. "Is when you get into a large body of water and try to clean yourself up. Have you never taken one?"
"..." Fenrir remains silent after hearing her question. He was made to be a weapon, not a pet. Loki wasn't a caring creator either, so self-care wasn't part of Fenrir's education.
"... Everyone, pick him up," Sif says as the tone of her voice turns serious. The squirrels quickly surround Fenrir and start approaching him.
"Huh? What are you doing?" The wolf asks in surprise.
"I didn't pay attention to your scent before, but now I can't ignore it. You're taking a bath." Her eyes showed her complete determination to achieve such a task. "Don't fight us. Leave to us."
Fenrir felt threatened by the faces of the squirrels and the face of Sif. He wanted to run, but the wolf knew it would be useless as he was far from being at full strength. Knowing this, the wolf surrendered himself to the army of squirrels, which, to his surprise, easily picked him up and started moving him outside the cavern.
"Towards the waterfall in the northeast," Sif said as she led her allies toward their next objective.
15 minutes later.
Fenrir stood close to the edge of the natural pool below a large waterfall. His body was drenched in the cold waters of the river that gave life to this waterfall. The squirrels had thrown him from the top of the waterfall under the orders of Sif before they themselves jumped after him.
The water was cold, but the wolf didn't really care. What made him mad was being thrown into the water like a piece of wood. It didn't help that Sif appeared to be smiling from her spot on top of the waterfall.
"How is the water?" Sif asked Fenrir.
"Why don't you jump in and see for yourself?" Fenrir retorts.
"Not sir. This is your bath. I had mine a few days ago. Also, you shouldn't ask a female to join in the bath unless you are close to each other." Sif said.
Fenrir looks confused by her comments.
"You don't know about that either? Why it doesn't surprise me?" The sacred beast looked concerned about Fenrir's well-being as he lacked knowledge about things that should have been natural to most. "Ignore that last comment. Now let them do their job. They will cover you in a cold, gooey substance called "soap." The Ratatoskrs care deeply for their fur health, just like I do. Once a week, we usually take baths in this place away from the elves. The soap will help to clean your fur; just trust the Ratatoskrs with their task. You'll feel great by the end." Sif explained.
Fenrir seemed worried about the squirrels that were climbing his body but decided not to interfere with their task.
The army of squirrels began to work on the giant wolf. Using their magical powers, they summoned small leaf pouches containing the "soap" and started covering every inch of Fenrir in it.
"Close your eyes, Fenrir. It will sting if you keep them open." Sif said.
Fenrir did as told.
The squirrels started to massage his fur once he got completely covered in soap, and foam formed. After only two minutes, Sif watched as Fenrir's body was nothing more than a mass of bubbles and foam, with not even his head visible to the eye. The squirrels continued to work on his fur for an extra 10 minutes until they began to make their way out of the foam mass.
"Seems like it's time. Fenrir, walk backward and let yourself sink into the waters once more. The foam needs to come off. Come up when I give you a sign." Sif said.
Fenrir started to do as told and quickly sank into the cold waters of the pool for several moments.
Once the foam was off Fenrir, it quickly dissolved into the water alongside any impurities it had trapped. Sif checked around for any body part that still had foam, and once she saw nothing, she called him back up. "Come up, Fenrir."
The wolf arose from the waters, but his fur was different this time. It was drenched entirely, and although it looked far shinier than before, Fenrir looked more like a shaggy dog than a wolf as his fur hung down like vines from a tree.
Sif wanted to laugh at the sight but held it back and made her way down to Fenrir. "How are you feeling?"
"Wet, cold. I can't see anything." Fenrir admitted.
"Yeah, now you need to dry yourself. Follow my voice and come closer to me." Sif said.
Fenrir stepped out of the water and approached Sif. Once he was close to her, the sacred beast activated a magic circle below them, creating a wind current that helps removed most of the water from Fenrir's fur. The squirrels that had helped to wash him up approached the circle to get dry as well.
Once the magic was deactivated, several balls of unbrushed fur surrounded Sif. Fenrir went from a shaggy dog to a poodle dog. This sight sent Sif over the edge as she laughed uncontrollably.
"Aren't you the cutest sight today?" Sif said as she laughed.
"..." Fenrir didn't understand why she was laughing until he saw the squirrels and connected the dots. "... Is not funny."
"But it is. You look so cute now. It is like you're a ball of fluffy fur. Tour fur is far shinier now than when we met. Don't you feel proud of looking so cute?" Sif asked.
"No," Fenrir replies.
"Party pooper. Don't worry; they brush all that fur into shape after caring for their own coat. Come with me; there's a spot near here where it will be easy to brush your fur into shape." Sif says before she starts to walk.
Fenrir and the squirrels follow after her. The group walks through a path that wasn't used regularly by elves. Tall and wide trees surrounded them from all corners, preventing sunlight from easily reaching down.
If one were to find itself lost in such a place, their mind would form ideas of monsters hiding in the depths of the forest, but the group seemed not to be affected by the density of the woods.
After a short walk, the trees gave in, and the group reached a small clear area where grass, small bushes, and other plants could grow much more effortlessly. A welcoming breeze told everyone that they had arrived at their destination.
"Come on, settle down, and take in the light. This clearing is one of the few spots the forest gives in to an area like this. Elves don't usually frequent this place as it is far from their village. So there won't be anyone coming here." Sif explains.
Fenrir watches as Sif takes a seat, and the squirrels follow suit. The squirrels sit in pairs or groups of three before they help each other to brush their fur into shape with the help of what seem to be wooden combs that they had made themselves.
The wolf seems amazed by the wide range of abilities the squirrels possess. "Just what's the limit of their knowledge?"
"Oh, you would be surprised. There's little that the Ratatoskrs can't do on their own. Besides protecting themselves from natural forces, these bundles of positive energy are quite an effective group. The elves sometimes ask the Ratatoskrs for help; although they have great knowledge about the realm, the Ratatoskrs are much more deeply involved with the realm as they manage any natural crisis or problems that can affect it. If an invasive species were to infiltrate and disrupt the natural order, the Ratatoskrs would act quickly to resolve the issue. They exist for this realm's stability, and I exist as one of the protectors of the realm." Sif says.
"A weapon?" Fenrir asks.
"No, you were made to be one. I was born from the realm itself as a defensive mechanism. I'm not a weapon, Fenrir, nor are you. Weapons don't feel or choose what to attack, weapons are used by their wielders, and neither of us has wielders. I'm a protector of this realm, and you are a wolf with much to learn. Tell me, have you thought about what is your purpose in life? Why are you alive? What makes your heart beat?" Sif asks him.
"..." Fenrir grows silent as he has nothing in his life. No home, no family, no purpose other than….. He didn't want to say it, as Sif had shown distaste for his desire to kill Loki.
Sif looked worried about his silence. She felt he was stepping into a path with no future, so she pushed him in a different direction. Call it her good nature or her years of experience, but she felt this was the right choice. "You have time to learn about life and about yourself in this realm."
"How? What do I have? No home? No family? I only have my fangs and my blood lustful. With who can I learn to see a different path?"
"With me, fluffy ball. If you stay here and follow me, you'll find your place in life. Just follow my words. You can be your own self, not the weapon Loki hoped to make. I know that you can find the answers you're looking for. So don't turn to those desires. You can be more than a weapon." Sif says as she smiles at him.
Fenrir felt a strange sensation after hearing her words. He didn't fully trust her, yet he wanted to believe in her. He felt at ease with her, and thanks to her, he started to see a path forward for once.
But destiny would force him back into the path of blood and carnage, for no matter how far he was or how happy he had become, Loki would always be there to bring him pain and suffering.
Back to the present. General POV. *After Dark- Asian Kung-Fu Generation*
Explosions of acidic blood continued within the crater, although they grew weaker each second. A mad wolf continued pushing forward, trying to slay the so-called "Loki" before him.
"Fenrir, wake up from this stupid delusion," Midg screamed as he held the jaws of his brother. "Come on, Fen. Your family has been waiting for you for far too long. Your sons have missed their dad for centuries, and your mate is likely losing her patience after she sealed herself in that statue. You need to come back to us."
"Loki!" Fenrir repeated the name of his target once more as he tried to close his jaws and devour his prey.
Midg's anger increased as he felt the jaws closing. "You made me do this." Midg charges a large fireball and shoots it straight into the inside of his brother's mouth.
A large explosion sends Fenrir flying toward a wall within the crater. The wolf tries to recover as the inside of his mouth has been drastically burned by the attack of Midg.
"Fenrir!" The wolf hears his name getting called out as Midg dashes forward and tackles him straight into the chest, taking away much of the oxygen inside his lungs.
The pain is not over as Midg connects a series of punches and kicks which cause even more damage to Fenrir. The wolf tries to recover, but he receives much more damage than expected as the marks around his body that Midg placed on him.
The Nemesis Brand weakens the target, forces them to engage the user, and increases the damage they receive from the user. Under the right circumstances, Midg can demolish any opponent in a one-to-one fight as it easily drives most targets to the edge. The only limit of such an ability was a single target usage.
Midg continues his assault against Fenrir with little to no consideration for Fenrir's status. The wolf's blood falls on top of him, and many wolf copies try to chew him up, but nothing works as the acidic blood is useless against Midg for some reason, and the wolf copies are weaker with each second. Their teeth can't penetrate the suit of Midg, thus becoming useless against him.
But the wolf wasn't done yet. In the middle of being assaulted, Fenrir's blood accumulated inside his mouth as it started to take the shape of a blade. Once the blade was wholly formed, Fenrir swung it against his brother with the intent to kill.
Midg extended his tail and used it to block the attack, as he wouldn't let such an attack reach him that easily. "A blade? Why can you stop? Damnit, why can my voice reach out to you?"
The siblings then started to exchange attacks as the tail of Midg was as sharp as any blade.
None had the grace or the technique of a swords master, but they made up by adding emotion and fury behind each swing.
Fenrir swung his bloody blade feeling that it was the only way to end his suffering—to prevent Loki from reaching his mate, his sons, and his brother. He didn't take the path of vengeance all those years ago; Fenrir took the way that he saw best to protect those he cared about. His mate, who was not to blame for Loki's quest to find him, his sons, who were just pups at the time, and his brother, who he had lost once, all were too important for him to sacrifice them, so he set out to take care of Loki on his own.
He knew well that it was basically a likely suicide as he was not only going to face Loki but Hel and her armies of the death as well.
He took all of them on with the determination to end his creator.
He fought day and night on the land of the dead, within her sister's territory. Away from the sun's light, viable food sources, and the one place he called home.
Yet his determination got him so far as he lost a leg and his eyes before getting captured and used as a test subject by Loki.
Fenrir was driven mad for centuries, and now he was doing the one thing he shouldn't do. Being a weapon, the one thing his mate didn't want him to be. If Sif had seen him now, her disappointment would have been legendary.
As Fenrir and Midg continue to exchange attacks, someone approaches the exchange with extreme carefulness. Typhon had changed shapes once more, and it had shrunk to the size of a tiger. Now his body was comparable to a rhino-monkey-scorpion hybrid which waited for the right moment to jump into action.
His multiple eyes waited for Midg to notice him as he moved his scorpion tail from side to side, signaling that he had a new plan in hand.
Midg took a few moments to notice the hybrid, which he appreciated as he didn't want to cause more damage to Fenrir than he had already done. Typhon signals that he needs an opening to inject Fenrir with his stinger.
Midg nods as he changes strategies. He uses his hands to capture the blade while his tail reaches out and swipes his remaining frontal leg, making Fenrir fall to the ground. Before the wolf can get up once more, Midg increases the size of his tail and uses its full weight to keep the wolf down.
"Now!" Midg screams.
Typhon jumps into the back of Fenrir before sinking his stinger into his spinal cord to inject a mysterious substance. This attack was precise as Typhon considered the make-up of a regular wolf's spinal cord to calculate the safest area to do this.
Such an attack would have been lethal if done carelessly, but thanks to Typhon's knowledge about species, this wasn't the case.
Fenrir tries to fight back as he tries to get up, but his brother pushes back. "What are you injecting into his body?" Midg asks as several bloody wolves bite him.
"Call it a neural paralyzer. This is something that will disrupt most neural transmission within Fenrir's body. It is a wild strategy but likely the most viable for us as we can't let this continue for much longer. Look around you, and you'll see what I mean." Typhon said.
Midg didn't need to see it as he knew how much damage his brother's acidic blood had done. "I doubt this area's nature will recover that easily from this. This will also put a target on your head, brother."
The seconds fly by as Typhon continues to inject his paralyzer until Fenrir goes motionless. His breathing slows down as he stops moving its legs or trying to move its blade.
"It has been done. I don't think it will last too long. Maybe an hour or two, so we must put Fenrir to sleep now. The tranquilizers might be more effective than my emergency strategy in this case." Typhon says.
Midg shrinks his tail and rips the bloody wolves from his body before smashing them into the ground. As he sees the disturbing status of his brother, he can't help but feel anger at all of this. "Why couldn't my voice reach you? Why did you end up like this? Is this what Sif wanted for you?"
Midg asks Fenrir, but the wolf is unable to reply. Midg then kneels before the wolf and caresses his head. "This is not what I expected to see after so long. This is the worst of the results, but I promise that I will do anything to fix the mess you have become, but I might need Sif's help. My voice couldn't reach you, but hers might have a better effect."
"Ready?" Typhon asks his friend.
"Tell them to go ahead," Midg says.
"Do it now!" Typhon screams.
Several arrows descend upon Fenrir's position and bury themselves upon his skin. The eyeless wolf doesn't move an inch as his body can't feel pain or move a muscle. His breathing eases even more as the tranquilizers finally put him to sleep for good.
Typhon checks the pulse and breathing of the wolf before giving his thumbs up. "It is done. We have Fenrir. I'll carry him to the train. Prepare that car."
As Typhon changes shapes and starts to carry Fenrir, Midg analyzes all the facts of his brother's current status. From his new abilities, his frail state, and what likely happened during all this time, Fenrir was missing.
His face turns back to the capital as he feels that this was merely a trial and that the true menace is awaiting them in the future.
"Just what in the love of Gaia were you trying to create, Loki?"
His question would get an answer much later in the future, and it would be the one to make him go over the edge against Loki.
*Author's notes: Remember that this is far from Fenrir at his peak. We'll see him at full throttle much later in the story.*
Back in the capital, within the castle. Tiamat's POV.
Tiamat and her team continued to be chased by the crazed bastard that was Loki. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the madness in Loki's eyes.
She knew they needed to eliminate him, but they needed to know what he was planning secretly and who his allies were.
"He is one of the three who can bring that beast back. Killing him now can prevent that, but that would mean not knowing what lies in secret. What other malicious plan lies behind you, Loki?"
"Stop running, you whores!" Loki screamed as he sent several explosive attacks after them.
The group evades the attacks, which end up blowing a hole in one of the walls. Tiamat sees the capital in the distance and quickly grabs her team members before jumping through the same hole.
"You won't get away. Give me that damn coffin." Loki says as he goes after them.
"Ross, get ready to let go of the coffin. We will dash for the capital and the train. There's no time to waste in here." Tiamat says as they descend upon the gardens of the castle.
Rossweisse nods as she looks for the chance to let go of the coffin by "mistake."
The group reaches an area covered in bushes and flowers, as does Loki.
The god stands tall and proud as he looks at the trio. "Give me that damn coffin!" Loki rushes forward, and Tiamat quickly counters with a kick straight into his chin which forces him to back down.
"You won't get that thing as long as I'm here," Tiamat tells him as she sells the coffin even more.
Blood drips from Loki's nose as the kick he just received has re-opened the injuries he received due to Thor's daughter before. "You damn whore, I'll make you regret it." The god lifts his right hand and shoots a small green flare toward the sky.
The trio looks confused about what he just did until an indescribable sense of dread invades each of them. The feeling that their souls were in danger was undeniable.
The group looks in all directions as they try to track down the source of such dread until a shadow rushes at full speed before materializing next to Loki.
Half-dead, half-alive, a goddess of the land of the dead like no other. Feared, disliked, and understandably despised by many as there was no peace for the souls that fell under her dominion. While other gods like Hades offered the Elysian Fields to the innocent and pure, this specific goddess had nothing of the sort.
The favorite puppet of Loki, Hel, had arrived, which meant many more problems for the groups as her presence was never just her own. As soon as Hel materialized from her shadow, many members of her army arose with her.
"Shit, she was the last goddess we wanted to see," Tiamat told herself.
Rossweisse and Kuroka were also unhappy about her presence, as everyone knew they were in deep trouble when someone like Hel showed up.
The blue lantern resting on Rossweisse's hip began to shake violently as a blue hand reached out.
"Run, Tiamat," The soul inside the lantern said.
Tiamat reacted to the voice inside the lantern and turned around before trying to escape with her team members.
"Kill them all and bring me that damn coffin," Loki ordered his daughter.
Hel did as told as she rushed forward with her army. "Your souls will be mine." The goddess said as she started to chase after the team.
Neither of member of the trio was stupid enough to stay and fight Hel with no preparation, but thankfully, they had one thing that could have saved them at that moment.
Before Hel could reach any team member, several blue hands attacked them and forced them to back away from the team.
A phantom fully materializes next to Rossweisse as it smirks at Hel. "Nice to see you again, "fake" queen of the dead." The phantom says.
"You! Enkidu!" Hel says as she touches the cheek that Enkidu hit.
"That's is indeed my name. Would you be so kind as to back away and let my friends go? The real queen of the dead wants them back as their souls are under their jurisdiction." Enkidu says with a silly tone, obviously trying to gain her anger.
The fury consumes Hel's face as she feels her position as the Norse deity of the dead being undermined by the comments of a soul under the jurisdiction of a different deity. "I will erase that stupid smile from your face!"
"Try your best, Daddy's special little girl," Enkidu says.
"What's he like this when we meet him?" Rossweisse asks her team members.
"Nope. Maybe it is just Enkidu's antagonistic relationship with other gods of the dead. Ereshkigal mentioned that she didn't have the best relations with most gods of the dead." Kuroka suggests.
"Pay attention to running and leave Hel to me. You need to get out of this place before something else goes wrong. Just her being here gives bad vibes; this is bound to be a sign of doom." Enkidu says as he continues intercepting any ghosts that get too close to the trio.
The phantom hero felt no fear when facing Hel as he was already dead, and his soul was bound to the lantern and Ereshkigal's power. He was basically the best counter to the goddess as the lantern wouldn't be easy to destroy, meaning he was a phantom with barely any weaknesses.
Thus continue the mission of the trio.
Author's notes:
Yes, Enkidu did try to make fun of Hel due to the fact that she and Ereshkigal have similar titles. Enkidu has grown to respect and support Ereshkigal over the ages, and he has developed animosity against any deity that threatens her or wrongs her. We might get to see more of him later on as his descendant is bound to join the cast in the not-so-distant future. (Hint: is all about the hair color.)