-Chapter 281-
True Strength
Draugr Deepwood Zone
In every land in Mobius, there's at least one location people go out of their way to avoid. A "Forbidden Zone", if you will. Whether it's contaminated, dangerous, or simply too far from civilization, people make it a point to keep as far from them as possible. For the people of Artika, their forbidden zone was the Draugr Deepwood.
On the outside, it looks like any other evergreen forest; albeit, a large evergreen forest. However, the massive, densely packed trees blocked out most of the light and made it difficult to find one's way, which - combined with the frigid weather - ensured that those who entered unprepared would not be leaving alive…if at all. Because of this, in the olden days, many believed the Deepwood was cursed; haunted by the restless spirits of those who had died there. But while the myths of ghosts had been long since disproven, something still prowled the dark forest. Something less supernatural, but nonetheless horrifying.
An armored transport truck drove through the forest floor; surprisingly silent for a vehicle its size. In it were a group of four Einherjar. They rode largely in silence, not even giving eachother a glance, let alone a word. Until one activated the radio.
"This is Draugr-1 to Nidavellir. Draugr-1 to Nidavellir. Do you read me? Over."
There was a burst of static, then a gruff voice called through the radio.
"About time! Where the hell have you-?!" There was a moment of silence, then the radio crackled again. "Ahem… I read you, Draugr-1. What's your status? Over."
"Just got the latest supply shipment, we're heading your way. Over."
"Good. Opening Bifrost to your location. Over and out."
Shortly after, a rainbow portal opened up several feet ahead of them.
"Finally!" one of them said. "C'mon, let's drop this crap off and–"
Suddenly, the transport came to a stop with a sudden jerk.
"What the hell–!?"
"Draugr, go see what that was."
"Roger."
One of the soldiers exited the vehicle and began looking to see what had happened. He didn't have to look long.
"Well, what is it?" demanded one of his comrades.
"The front wheels are frozen," 'Draugr' said plainly.
"Frozen? That's absurd! Barely any snow reaches the forest floor, let alone ice!"
"That is what happened."
"Oh brother..." The Einherjar exitted the transport, grumbling and cursing under his breath. "Alright, let's see these frozen…wheels?"
The Einherjar stopped in his tracks. Sure enough, the front wheels of the transport had been frozen to the ground.
"What the…what in the unholy Aesir is this!?"
"It is ice," 'Draugr' replied, earning a punch in the face.
"I can see that, you damn doll!" the soldier snapped. "How the hell did it get there!?"
"Maybe we hit a freeze mine?" one of the soldiers who stayed in the car offered.
"Impossible, this route doesn't have mines," the driver pointed out. "Unless…"
The group paused for a moment, then went wide-eyed as they all came to the same conclusion.
"Shit! We're under attack!" the driver cried as he frantically fumbled for the radio. But before he could, something broke through the window and struck him in the head enveloping half of his cranium in ice and knocking him out.
"What the fugg!?" his companion shouted, only to get his face frozen too.
"Hey! What's going on in there!?" the soldier outside shouted, only for an explosion to go off from his side, incapacitating him; leaving only 'Draugr'.
'Draugr' reached for his weapons as he carefully examined the surrounding area. Unlike the others, he was keeping his cool. In fact, he showed barely any emotion at all.
He heard something rustle in the bushes, then immediately drew his blaster and fired. The rustling stopped, but the lack of a scream or a body falling out indicated that he hadn't taken down whoever had taken down the others.
"Where are you?" he whispered. "Where…?"
Something struck him on the back of the head, laying him out instantly.
"Bonne nuit, M. Viking," (1) Antoine said as he wiped off the pommel of his sword.
With the enemies dispatched, he did a quick sweep of the area. Once he was sure there were no others, he turned the bushes.
"Tout est clair! Dépêchez-vous!" (2)
At that, Chris, Keith, Augustus, and Sealia stepped out; the seal slumped over her brother's shoulder.
"Beau travail , Antoine," (3) Sealia praised. "It's not easy to get the jump on a Draugr. Let alone on the first try."
"Do not thank me yet, Mademoiselle L'Harpe," the coyote said as he got to work removing the downed Egg Soldiers' uniforms. "Grab a soldier and swipe their uniform. It won't be long before they suspect something is amiss."
The others nodded and got to work.
"Man, I've never seen Antoine this serious," Chris said as he pulled one of the Einherjar out of the transport.
"Can you blame him?" Keith asked. "You'd be serious too if you were fighting for the same thing as him."
"Come on, people, we haven't got all day! That portal will close any second!" Antoine snapped.
"Right!"
Flashback…
Icehole, Before the Hijacking
Eggatha's EggPad began to chime, drawing the young Robotnik's attention. With a curious grunt, she glanced over.
"Hello..."
"What's up, Aggie?" Keith asked.
"I just received a message from Ivaldi, the head of R&D down in the Nidavellir Labs. He's looking after an injured trainee from Helheim…a rabbit with only one arm and no legs."
The Freedom Fighters froze, especially Antoine.
"Bunnie…"
"That can't be good," Chris said.
"Yes and no." Eggatha adjusted her glasses. "Ivaldi is one of the saner members of the Einherjar. He's a craftsman, not a fighter, so he wasn't subjected to the same level of 'training' as the others. Bunnie's safe in his care." Her expression turned grim. "Unfortunately… That means she's in the labs. Which, again, are extremely secretive. Plus, she's only going there to have her limbs repaired. As soon as they're fixed, she'll be shipped back to Helheim."
Antoine's fists clenched. "I won't let that happen."
"Then you need to act fast. Ivaldi takes his work seriously, so you'll have some time, but not a lot. A day. Two tops."
"Alright then, let's send a team down and find those labs!" Sonic declared.
"It's not that simple, M. Hérisson," (4) Sealia cut in. "The labs are secretive for a reason. Most of the Einherjar despise technology and any who use and work with it. They call them 'tinkerers' and 'toymakers'. And they never miss an opportunity to harass, belittle, or brutalize them."
"So they act like a bunch of bullies," Sonic remarked. "Noted."
Sealia nodded. "So, to protect them, Tundra assigned a special squad to serve as their bodyguards: the Draugr."
"Draugr?" Keith repeated.
"It's a type of Old Nordic zombie," Gust explained. "A living corpse that haunts abandoned tombs. Usually guarding a treasure."
Sticks gasped. "Evil, Viking, cyber zombies!? Good thing I brought my Sticks Anti-Spook Kit!"
"Calm down, Mlle Blaireau!" (5) Sealia shouted. "These Draugr are not zombies, at least...not literally."
"Oh…Well, that puts a damper on things," Sticks said as she put away the large tree of holy symbols she'd produced.
"So, what are these Draugr?" Amy asked.
"They're the Einherjar's…" Sealia thought for a moment. "Well, they're their 'Black-Ops Division'. Basically, they do all the 'dishonorable' jobs. Espionage, sabotage, assassinations… That sort of thing."
"Ahhh…Shadowmen."
Sealia nodded. "Each one of them is rigorously trained and conditioned to follow any and all orders they're given to the letter; even going as far as completely suppressing their emotions."
"Like a robot…" Chris said.
"Or a dog…" Keith added, his eyes opening in realization.
At that, Antoine glowered.
"Firn...The bâtard who took out most of us… The one who defeated me back at the stadium… And the one who took Bunnie." His hand gripped the hilt of his sword as he stood up. "I'm going."
Sally blinked. "Antoine?"
"I volunteer for the Draugr Deepwood team."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mon-sewer Fancypants! Did you forget about the 'emotionless assassin' bit?" Flip asked.
"Flip's right, Antoine," Guntiver said. "The Draugr are not to be underestimated. Next to the Frozen Four, they're the scariest troops in the Einherjar. You make one mistake, they'll kill you in the time it takes to blink."
Antoine grimaced. He wasn't happy about being reminded of his failure back in Station Square, but Guntiver was right. If he was to rescue Bunnie, he needed a plan.
"Then we just need a way to level the playing field," Chris suggested.
"Not easy when Antoine doesn't have a Mo-bility we can work off of," Keith lamented. "Not to mention we don't have time to try and augment his weapon."
Antoine gripped his blade tightly, his hand shaking.
"Let's put fighting Firn aside for now," Sally cut in. "Our primary concern is saving the others, and that means finding the labs."
Suddenly, a sound went off.
"Sally, I just picked up a signal from one of Porker's Pig Stickers!" Nicole announced.
"Hold on, what?! HOW?!" Rotor shouted.
"I'm not sure, but it's moving from somewhere from the Cool Edge Zone...to Draugr Deepwood!"
"Cool Edge is in the heart of Einherjar territory!" Augustus said.
"Porker must have slipped a Sticker onto one of their transports," Sonic smirked. "Clever Pig."
"That's great news, but we don't have much time," Eggatha said. "If that transport gets too deep into the Deepwood, we could lose it!"
"Then we need to get going now"! Antoine said.
"Right!" Sonic hopped up. "I'll dash over and then we'll–!"
"No, Sonic!" Keith cut in. "Chris and I will support Ant on this one.
"You focus on the big fish," Chris added.
"Chris… Are you sure about this?" Sally asked worriedly. "If what Sealia says is true..."
"We've got this," he said. "Plus, when we find Bunnie, we may be the only ones who can put her back together."
"Then Augustus and I are coming with you," Sealia announced.
"Wait, we are?" the polar bear asked. "Wouldn't Erma be a better choice?"
"Sorry, Gust," the ermine said. "But I'm going to Helheim."
"I don't know, Erma," Guntiver chimed in. "Your Mo-bility is better suited for a rescue mission like this, you should–"
"I'm going. To Helheim." Erma looked Guntiver right in the eyes. "Is that going to be a problem, Narfi?"
Guntiver narrowed his eyes, but made no protest.
"Well then, if there are no complaints, I think we're set," Sealia said.
"Do either of you know the area the transport is in?" Antoine asked.
"I can get us close, it's heading for an area my Papa used to take me hunting."
Antoine ran over and practically shoved the ring into her hand.
"Then take us there, rapidement!" (6)
Sealia was startled by Antoine's sudden shouting, but quickly regained her wits and threw the ring, opening a portal.
"It's done," she said.
At that, Antoine jumped through, sword drawn. Both Chris and Keith did the same, sliding their Nitro Gloves on.
"Augustus, let's go."
Gust picked Sealia up and slung her over his shoulder, then followed the others before the portal vanished.
"Will they be okay?" Amy asked.
"They'll be fine," Flip said. "Sealia's pop's an old war vet and Gust is a tank! They got this in the bag."
Flashback End
Draugr Deepwood… A minute after the Hijacking
Antoine examined the transport carefully, being especially attentive to the underside.
"Come on, it has to be here somewhere."
As he ran his hand under the step, he felt something flat and round underneath. He pulled at the object, then withdrew his hand to find him holding Porker's Pig Sticker.
"Bien joué mon ami." (7)
"Did you find it?" Chris asked, him and the others having changed into the stolen Einherjar uniforms.
" Oui ." Antoine handed Chris the sticker. "You remember the plan, Chris?"
"Don't worry, Antoine. We'll find them."
"I don't doubt it." He looked around. "Now go, I fear they're getting suspicious."
Chris and the others filed into the transport, with Gust taking the wheel.
"Everyone all set?" the polar bear asked, earning nods all around. "Alright...let's do this!"
Antoine watched as Gust started up the car - now freed from the ice - and floored the gas, driving it straight through the portal, which promptly closed behind them.
"Good luck and godspeed, friends," Antoine whispered anxiously. He then straightened his posture. "They've already left, you can come out now…Firn."
Footsteps greeted Antoine's ears prompting him to look over his shoulder to see Firn stepping out from behind the trees.
"You knew I was here," the wolf asked. "How?"
"You're one of the Draugr. This is the Draugr Deepwood. Why wouldn't you be here?" Antoine narrowed his eyes. "Now, here's a question of my own. Why didn't you stop us? There's no way you couldn't have just missed us, not with your speed. You let the others walk through that portal."
"They did not offer a sufficient threat," the assassin explained. "There are plenty of Einherjar and Draugr in the labs that can kill them. Fighting them would only serve to waste energy and delay the arrival of the supplies."
Antoine regarded the wolf with contempt. "And me?"
"You are of no consequence. You lost to me once in Station Square, only saved by the intervention of Bunnie Rabbot, and she did not last much longer. Honestly, you would have been wise to abandon her."
Antoine's fists tightened as he grit his teeth.
"But since you are here, I offer you a choice: submit now and join the Einherjar or die."
"I'll take the third option," Antoine said as he slid into a fighting stance. "Taking you down for good."
Firn regarded Antoine for a moment, then took a breath, seemingly in resignation. "Very well…"
The Draugr raised his claws as he took a low stance. Then, in the blink of an eye, lunged at Antoine, who had barely enough time to block his strike with his sword, allowing him a good look at Firn's cold, dead, emotionless eyes.
"Prepare to die, Antoine D'Coolette."
Nidavellir Labs
A P.A. system that most likely dated back to the Great War let out an almost ear-piercing squawk as a pre-recorded message began to play over it.
"Attention! Bifrost Gate opening in loading dock 4. All personnel, please clear the area. Repeat. Bifrost Gate opening in loading dock 4. All personnel, please clear the area."
At that, a rainbow portal opened up, the transport driving out of it. The vehicle drove out onto a long runway, swerving back and forth slightly, before coming to a stop as Gust slammed his foot on the brakes.
"Wow…that was weird," the polar bear groaned as he rubbed his head; the others were similarly disoriented.
"That was almost as bad as when our Warp Rings were acting up," Keith said. "You alright, Chris?"
"The colors…" Chris said. "So…many…colors…"
"Contrôle-toi!" (8) Sealia shouted, slapping the boy with her tail. Chris blinked, shaking his head and looking around.
"Huh? What happened?" Chris asked.
"We've reached our destination, M. Thorndyke." Sealia pointed out the window. "And it looks like we have company."
The group turned to see a group of Einherjar approaching them. The leader was a tall female, Mobian goat with Gainsboro gray fur, short, brown horns that curved backward, and yellow orange eyes with horizontal, rectangular pupils. She wore the standard black Egg Soldier jumpsuit, though she wore the zipper fairly low revealing a generous amount of chest floof, and the Einherjars' signature blue parka, as well as white gloves and a pair of fur-trimmed boots with steel toes that resembled hooves. She walked toward the transport with a relaxed, but still professional gait; her hands in her pocket.
The soldiers with her were all largely identical looking soldiers in light armor and high-tech masks. Unlike their superior, their movements were precise, rigid, and perfectly synchronized (the latter being the scariest thing about them, somehow).
"Shit…Draugr," Keith cursed.
"Alright kids," Sealia began. "Remember, you are Einherjar. Nasty, barbarous, and cold-hearted warriors of the North. If they suspect you're not for even a second, they'll skin us all alive. Do not fugg this up."
"Sis, you're not exactly helping," Gust said.
"Oi, Draugr-1!" the goat shouted. "Front and center!"
"Crap, looks like it's showtime," Keith said.
"Here's hoping I inherited Mom's acting talent as well as Grandpa's brains," Chris added. "Okay…nasty, cold-blooded slimeball…"
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he opened them. When he did, his face was set to an emotionless mask. Even his eyes looked absolutely devoid of any shred of human kindness. He looked like someone who would not hesitate to stab you in the back and twist the knife as you went down.
"Alright…" he said, his voice cold and lifeless. "Showtime."
Keith gulped nervously, then pocketed his glasses. They exited the vehicle and approached the goat and her men.
"Draugr-1, you're late," the goat snapped. "What happened?"
"Ambushed by Freedom Fighters," Chris explained. "Froze the transport's tires. We dealt with them."
"I see…" the goat looked over the group before turning her attention to Sealia.
"Sir?" Sealia asked.
"What's with your legs?" the goat asked, eyeing her 'mer-seal' tail.
She looked at her tail before eyeing the goat, narrowing her eyes. "What legs?"
"There a problem, sir?" Gust said menacingly.
The goat stared at the group for a moment, taking them all in. Her gaze then turned to Keith.
"And who's this scrawny puke?" she asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out what looked like a malted milk ball.
"I'm with the science division, ma'am…er, sir!" Keith replied.
"This was supposed to be a supply run. Nobody mentioned anything about any fresh nerds."
"Last minute addition, sir," Chris added. "That fat swine Ivaldi is taking too long with Master Tundra's new Valkyrie, so he sent help."
The others flinched as the goat snapped her head toward Chris.
"Did you just call the Director a fat pig?" she asked coldly as she slowly advanced toward him.
"And if I did?" Chris asked.
The goat opened her mouth, revealing a full set of Cyberized chompers worthy of the Diablo Kid. Chris watched as she bit down on the malted milk ball, which - upon further inspection - was actually made of copper. The goat ground her teeth back and forth, the metal letting out a sharp, screeching grind that sent chills up Chris' spine. Then, she bit into it, crushing it in half before spitting them out in his face. Chris did his best not to flinch as the goat glared right at him; he could feel her grinding away his poker face like she did the ball. Then, she smiled.
"Alright then," she said. "Ivaldi's been pestering Tundra for more warm bodies in the lab. Thanks for the help, soldier."
Chris nodded. "You're welcome, si–"
Suddenly, the goat punched Chris in the face. His head reeled back before he slowly turned back to look at her, revealing a fresh black eye.
"Talk about your superiors like that again and I'll punch it out." she warned before returning to address the group. "Welcome to Nidavellir. Name's Grinder the Goat, Head of Security round here. You geeks start slacking off or making trouble, you answer to me."
"The name's Thorn," Chris replied.
"Kent Winters, sir"
"Didn't ask, don't care. Draugr!" The Draugr stood at attention. "Take the toymakers to the workshop with the others and make sure they have all their fingers when they get there."
The Draugr walked over to Keith and Chris.
"Sir!" Sealia cut in. "Allow us to escort them."
"Why?"
"Direct orders from Firn himself," Gust replied.
Grinder raised an eyebrow. "Firn? Firn's a Draugr, he doesn't give orders."
Gust stiffened, but Sealia thought fast. "Passed down from Lady Glacia through Firn. Sorry for the confusion."
Grinder turned to Sealia and looked her right in the eyes. Her glare was cold and menacing. It took a good amount of willpower for Sealia to remain composed. A few moments later, Grinder relented.
"Alright. Last thing I want is to get on that furry, white bitch's shit list. Carry on. But as soon as you're done, get back here and help unload this crap! No detours! Got it?"
Sealia and Gust saluted nervously. "Sir!"
Grinder nodded. "Now, get goin'!"
The group walked off. Once they were gone, Grinder pulled out a com.
"It's me. The Freedom Fighters are here. I trust you know what to do?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Good, and remember what we talked about. You keep your promise…" she narrowed her eyes. "Or I'll be very upset."
-X-
As soon as they were out of her sight, Chris winced, a hand going to his eye.
"Ow…" he let out. "That goat has bricks in her gloves or something."
"Forget the goat, that was awesome!" Gust said. "I honestly thought you were a real live psycho!"
"Could've come up with a better name than Thorn though," Keith said.
"You're one to talk, 'Kent Winters'," Chris rebuked.
"Knock it off, you two." Sealia motioned toward the numerous Einherjar stationed around the labs, most of whom were giving the boys the stink eye. "You're going to give us away."
Chris nodded. "Right, sorry."
"Kinda grateful not to have my glasses," Keith remarked.
Before they could continue, a commotion nearby grabbed their attention.
"C'mon, shake a leg, four-eyes!"
"Ow!"
They turned to see a short, black human man being harassed by a group of Einherjar. Chris' eyes widened as he leaned over to Keith.
"It's him…" he whispered. "Dr. Morgan."
"Who? The dwarf?" Gust asked.
Chris gave him a blank look. "He's a human like us."
Risking it, Keith puts his glasses back on to get a better look.
"Yeah, it's him, and he's in trouble from the looks of it."
"We gotta do something!" Chris exclaimed.
"What can we do without blowing our cover, Chris?"
"Leave that to us, boys," Sealis cut in. "Augustus, it's our turn."
Gust nodded as Sealia waddled toward the group.
"Seriously, can you be any slower?!" one Einherjar snapped at the diminutive doctor.
"I am moving as fast as I can," Nate said calmly.
"Well, move faster!" shouted another. "You're lucky we need that fat head of yours, or you'd be-"
"What's going on here?"
The soldiers turned to see Sealia and Gust approach, both looking very cross.
"Well? Speak up!" Sealia demanded.
"This lazy Overlander is moving too slow." The Einherjar grinned. "So, we're teaching it a lesson."
"Well, knock it off! Director Ivaldi needs him to get back to work! And he can't do that if he's too injured!"
"So the lousy toymaker gets a booboo. Big whup."
Sealia's eyes narrowed in disgust. "That toymaker is part of Lord Tundra's plan, or do you want to explain to him why progress is delayed?
The soldiers froze at that.
"It seems I'll need to have a talk with Chief Grinder about discipline around here." She grinned as she turned to Augustus. "Or perhaps...Sub-Boss Glacia."
Augustus smirked, causing the soldiers to visibly flinch.
"No!" one exclaimed. "Um, I mean… Th-That won't be necessary!"
"We were just about done, anyway." the second added. "As you were."
They headed off as Nate turned to face them, seeing Chris and Keith behind the two Mobians
"My word…" he gasped. "Laura Kent's boy, and Charles' grandson…"
"It's been a long time, Dr. Morgan," Keith greeted. "Are you hurt?"
Nate winced, rubbing his ribs. "Just a little sore."
"Easy, Doc." Gust walked over, helping him up.
"Augustus…" Nate sighed in relief. "Thank Aurora, you're here."
"We're with the Acorn Kingdom Freedom Fighters, Doc," Chris reported. "We're gonna get you outta here."
"I know, Christopher," Nate smiled. "Tekno and Porker have been saying that ever since they arrived. Come, I'll show you where the lab is."
Gust set him down, the old man leading them along.
Draugr Deepwood
Antoine and Firn's battle raged on throughout the forest, which was quickly turning into a repeat of what happened at Station Square. No matter how much Antoine attacked, Firn continued to evade his blows. A series of thrusts, Firn dodged each one. A sideways slash, he ducked.
Firn then swung at Antoine's stomach, but the coyote leapt back, so only his coat was sliced open instead of his stomach.
" Zut alor ..." Antoine uttered as he breathed a sigh of relief, only to be snapped back to reality by the sound of footsteps. He raised his blade just in time to parry a claw swipe.
"Impressive," Firn praised. "Despite not having fully recovered from our last bout, you are still able to keep up."
Firn swung again, but was blocked.
"I have one hell of a reason to keep fighting." Antoine thrust again, but missed.
"Understandable. You are much like Master Tundra in that regard"
" Quoi? " Firn attacked again, but Antoine dodged just in time. "The hell do you mean!?"
"You were beaten. Completely and utterly. Your honor as a warrior has been stained and tarnished. You seek to redeem yourself by defeating me."
Antoine blocked another swipe from Firn. "My honor has nothing to do with this!"
"So you seek glory?"
"I'm talking about you enfoirés (9) stealing the woman I love!"
"Ah...Bunnie Rabbot." Firn nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. She is a formidable fighter. A valuable asset to your army."
Firn managed to nick Antoine's cheek.
"She is, but that's not all she is She's smart, funny, and she sees worth in me despite being a sub-par, powerless coyote!"
"So she is your Master?"
Antoine looked at Firn like he had grown three heads and a tail. "M-Master?"
"You have sworn fealty to her, yes?"
"Just how fugged in the head are you?! I love her!"
Firn paused, regarding Antoine in confusion.
"Love?"
Antoine looked at Firn in horror. " Mon dieu … You really are emotionless..."
"That is correct. I am Einherjar. A warrior of the Great North. The mightiest of the mighty. I have honed my body and mind to peak condition. Burning out all weakness. And emotion is the greatest of them all."
"That's where you're wrong, Firn," Antoine readied his sword, lunging forward. "Emotion is what makes us stronger. Fear gives us focus. Anger gives us drive. And love?" He grinned. "Love can make you into an unstoppable force."
Antoine slashed Firn, appearing behind him.
"That did nothing."
Look closer."
Firn perked, suddenly feeling something warm on his face. He felt his cheek and found his hand stained with blood from the cut Antoine had given him.
Antoin smirked. "Guess there's still a part of you that's mortal, because I see a hint of fear in your eyes."
Firn's eyes quivered for a moment, but he quickly composed himself.
"You are indeed stronger than anticipated." Firn raised his claws. "But I am stronger still. Or have you forgotten what happened at the stadium?"
Antoine grimaced. "Ahhh...that."
Firn raised his claws so they were level with his head. "Fenris Drive, online. Engage...Fire Mode."
Firn briefly flared with a flaming aura, his body glowing with fiery orange circuit lines.
"Right then…" Antoine took a breath, assuming a combat stance. "This just got interesting."
Firn assumed his own combat stance. The two stared each other down as a particularly large snowflake slowly descended from the heavens. It hit the ground, and both warriors charged at each other
Nidavellir Labs
Back at the labs, Nate led the group down a hallway.
"Are we there yet?" Gust asked.
"Not much farther now," Nate replied. "Just be patient."
"Dr. Morgan, what are you doing here?" Chris asked. "After the ROCC Incident, you pretty much vanished off the face of Mobius."
"I was in my personal laboratory, working on some projects of mine. I can provide more details when we're out of harm's way." They stopped before a door labeled Lab 6. "Ahhh, here we are!"
"So, this is where they're keeping everyone?" Chris questioned, getting a nod.
"Uh-oh..." Keith pointed to the door, specifically the speaker attached to it. "A voice scanner."
"Voice...scanner?" Gust repeated.
"It only responds to a specific voice... and none of us are registered."
"Leave that to me." Chris approached the speaker, clearing his throat a few times before putting on a deep, menacing baritone reminiscent of Tundra's. "This is Boss Tundra. Open Lab 6."
" Voice print approved, " came a computerized voice as a palm scanner popped out. " Hand-print necessary for certification."
Chris scowled. "Now you listen here, you worthless mound of metal! Open this damned door, or by Odin's beard, I'll rip out your electronic brain!"
" Certification unnecessary. " The palm scanner withdrew into the wall, noticeably quicker than it came out. " You are indeed Tundra. Access granted. "
The group stared at Chris in shock as the lock clicked audibly.
"That is both impressive and terrifying," Sealia let out.
"I am Lindsey Fair's son," Chris said as he opened the door. "Ladies first."
As the group made their way into the lab, they found a cramped space filled with high-tech machinery, computers, and blueprints. Despite the small size of the room, both boys couldn't help but be fascinated by everything they saw.
"Whoa..." Chris managed. "This is..."
"If this wasn't an Eggman base, I'd swear I'd died and gone to Heaven!" Keith exclaimed.
"Where is it!?" The group stopped to see Porker frantically rummaging through the stuff. "C'mon, c'mon, it's gotta be here somewhere! Tekno! Have you found it!?"
Tekno popped out from under a table. "It's not here, Pork!"
"Well, keep looking!" If we don't find it soon, those crazy bastards will beat us, eat us, and kill us! In that order if we're lucky!"
"Find what?" Keith asked.
The two stopped, slowly turning to see them.
"Chris!" Porker exclaimed.
"Keith!" Tekno cried.
The two Brain Trustees ran over, hugging the boys in tight embraces.
"Omigosh! You finally made it!" Tekno immediately turned serious. "Now… what in Aurora's name took you so long?"
They took in Tekno's appearance. Her eyes had dark circles and bags that looked like bruises, and were bloodshot, like she hadn't had a decent sleep in days.
"Bad PTSD from the last two times?" Chris questioned.
"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it. I would rather go back to working for BARF for another year than spend another minute in this...this...!"
"Hellhole?" Porker offered.
"Yes!" Tekno threw her hands in the air, then walked over to a wall and leaned her forehead against it, eliciting sympathetic winces from the others.
"Sorry guys," Porker rubbed his forehead. "it's been...a hell of a week."
"That it has." Nate stepped forward.
"Oh! Dr. Morgan, you're back!"
"I apologize for the delay, Mr. Lewis. I had a run-in with some of our 'gracious hosts'."
"Doc…" Porker sighed. "You said you'd be careful."
"Hard to do that when you're old, short, and surrounded by some of the most ableist, racist cretins in all of Mobius. But, I digress. Where is Ivaldi?"
"Right here, Nathaniel."
The group turned toward the back end of the lab to see a curtain part, a fairly tall, stocky Mobian boar with golden blonde fur and a wild, silvery white, mohawk-like mane stepping out. He was wearing an Egg Soldier black jumpsuit and a lab coat and had long, prominent tusks and scars. Despite that, his eyes shone with an intelligence similar to that of Dr. Morgan.
"Ah, these must be Christopher Thorndyke and Keith Kent. I've heard much about you two," he bowed. "Ivaldi the Boar, Director of Nidavellir and member of the Eggperial Inner Yolk."
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"You're with Aggie," Keith realized. "Thank Aurora."
"She did say he was one of the saner Einherjar." Chris recalled.
"Still surprised a Boar is the director here," Gust said bluntly.
"Augustus!" Sealia admonished. "Show some respect!"
"No, no, it's alright. My kind has a rather... violent reputation. Speaking of…" Ivaldi looked at Chris. "That's quite the shiner you have there, young man."
"Yeah, a crazy goat lady slugged me in the face."
Ivaldi sighed. "Dammit, Grinder. Here, let me take care of that."
Ivaldi plucked a bristle from his mohawk, gently placing it over Chris' black eye. The hair dissolved into nanites, seeping into his skin as the bruise rapidly faded.
"There, all fixed," he said with a smile. "I'd offer a lollipop, but Tundra placed a ban on sweets and junk food."
"Whoa…" Chris managed.
"How the hell…?" Gust let out. "Was that a Mo-bility?"
"Cyberization, actually." Ivaldi rolled up a sleeve, revealing his fur. "Feel."
Chris walked over, feeling his arm. He blinked in surprise.
"Your fur…it's metal!"
"Ivaldi has a layer of nanomachines injected under his skin that converts his fur into bio-metallic nanite fibers," Nate explained.
"I can use it to heal physical injuries, as well as grow my own scrap metal," Ivaldi added.
"Whoa…" Gust managed. "I have no idea what you said, but that sounds amazing."
A soft groan reached their ears from behind the curtain. Ivaldi turned to it.
"Oh good, she's waking up. For a moment, I thought she wasn't going to make it."
"Whew!" Porker wiped his brow.
"Thank Aurora!" Tekno sighed.
"Not make it?" Chris repeated nervously.
"Yes..."
Ivaldi pulls back the curtain. Both boys gasped at the sight before them.
"BUNNIE!"
Indeed, Bunnie Rabbot was lying on a bed in a hospital gown, looking worse for wear. Her cybernetic limbs were gone, leaving only the connection sockets; the skin around them showing signs of frostbite.
"Dammit... why did we never think to give her cold-weather cybernetics?"
"Chris, I don't think it was just due to the weather," Keith said hesitantly.
"It wasn't..." Gust cut in. "She spent five days in Helheim. Five days of Glacia's...training."
"Honestly, she's lucky to be alive," Sealia chimed in. "Normally, she just kills 'cripples' on sight."
The boys wince upon hearing that.
"Then, why keep her alive at all?" Chris asked.
"Tundra wanted to make her into one of his Valkyries," Ivaldi explained. "Miss Rabbot has proven to be a formidable adversary to the Empire in the past. And since she's already Cyberized, it was simply a matter of...breaking her."
Ivaldi plucked a handful of his Nanofiber hairs and placed them on Bunnie's frostbite. The flesh slowly healed and mended as Bunnie stirred. Chris walked over, gently taking her hand.
"Bunnie?" he asked. "Can you hear me?"
Bunnie groaned, slowly opening her eyes. "Chris...? Keith...?"
"Thank goodness! You're alright!" Chris winced, realizing what he had just said. "Uh, I mean…"
Bunnie chuckled weakly. "I get what you meant, honey. I..." Seeing Ivaldi, she stiffened."EGG SOLDIER!"
She aimed her blaster arm at the boar, only to realize it wasn't there.
"Bunnie, calm down," Keith quickly cut in. "He's on our side. Well, technically Eggman's, but he's not with Tundra's psychos."
"Greetings, my dear," Ivaldi greeted. "I apologize for the scare. I am Ivaldi the Boar, Head Researcher for the Artikan Egg Army."
"Ivaldi..." Bunnie sighed in relief. "So yer the feller Berg mentioned."
"Berg?" Chris asked.
"'Nuther Einherjar. One of the not-crazies. Helped me an' some of the other prisoners escape."
The group breathed a collective sigh of relief, knowing they had another ally.
"Bunnie, what happened to you?" Keith asked.
Bunnie sighed as she laid back down. "Hell, sugah… Pure. Hell..."
"We're gonna have to make new limbs before we can get her outta here," Keith remarked. "This complicates things a bit."
"Leave that to me." Ivaldi assured. "I was just about to get started on them anyway. Porker, Tekno, were you able to locate the datacard?"
"Not yet, sir." Porker replied.
"Well, keep looking. I can't forge her new limbs without it."
"Datacard?" Chris repeated.
"Found it!" Tekno stood up, holding up a datacard.
"Perfect!" Ivaldi took the card. "Now I can fix her up."
Ivaldi stuck the card in his bristles. As soon as he did, his fur began to move and stretch on its own; twisting and weaving together into a long, thin shape. Once it had grown out enough, he pulled it out and began carefully sculpting the mass of metal. As he kneaded and smoothed it over, the mass took on a more definite shape before finally coalescing into a cybernetic arm.
"Now for the legs."
Everyone watched in awe as Ivaldi repeated the process. And a few minutes later, he'd formed a set of three limbs perfectly fitted for Bunnie.
"There...Three coldproof cybernetic limbs." He pulled the data card out of his fur, which now bore several large bald spots. "Now, what say we get them installed?"
"Ah! Right!"
The boys quickly took the limbs.
"Never thought I'd be grateful for all the times Hope asked us to help with Bunnie's maintenance," Chris noted as they headed over to Bunnie. "Brace yourself, Bunnie. There might be some... momentary discomfort, shall we say."
"Just stick 'em in me, hun.," Bunnie replied. "I've been through way worse."
Keith stood at Bunnie's leg sockets, Chris at her arm.
"Are you ready?" Bunnie nodded. "Okay… one, two, THREE!"
They attached Bunnie's new limbs with a spark of electricity. Bunnie let out a pained yelp, gritting her teeth.
"Just how bad does that feel?" Gust questioned.
"Ever had a pinched nerve?" Ivaldi replied. "That, times ten. On each limb."
"Mon dieu..." Sealia managed.
"I've worked on several implants in my time here," Nate added. "It's enough to make hardened soldiers cry like children."
Bunnie slumped, breathing heavily and sweating. "Ohhhhh...sweet, little baby Aurora… That was almost as bad as when I had my old ones crushed..."
Chris perked. "Wait, what!?"
"CRUSHED?!" Keith exclaimed.
"Wait…" Porker realized. "Are you saying...you got your old limbs destroyed on purpose!?"
"Why would you do that!?" Tekno demanded.
"It was the only way to get outta Tundra's boot camp!" Bunnie hugged herself. "That place… It makes our time on the Death Egg look like a picnic matinee! It's...It's..."
She trailed off, unable to continue. The boys exchanged looks before giving her a comforting hug.
A moment passed before they both hugged her
"Don't worry, it's all over now," Chris said. "We're putting a stop to it."
After releasing her, Chris reached into his Warp Ring satchel.
"C'mon, let's get you guys outta here and–"
Suddenly, a laser blast struck the satchel, destroying it and its contents.
"No!" Keith screamed.
The sound of blasters powering up caused them to turn to the entrance, revealing a squad of Einherjar, all armed to the teeth.
"Freeze!" the leader shouted, all of them aiming at them.
"Shit!" Chris cursed.
"Hands in the air, Freedom Fighters! You try anything funny..." the soldier grinned. "And we'll snap your frozen body parts off one by one and make you eat'em."
Everyone in the room cringed at that.
"Say what!?" Keith exclaimed.
"Seriously, what is wrong with you people!?" Chris demanded.
"What's right with them?" Porker deadpanned, only to jump as an ice blast narrowly missed him. "Yipe!"
"Quiet from the tinkerers!" the soldier snapped.
"That's enough, all of you!" Ivaldi snapped. "Draugr, I order you to put down your arms and stand down!"
The Draugr refused.
"What?!"
The soldier smirked. "Sorry, hamhock. Master Tundra's declared a Code Blue. All Draugr now respond only to his orders. And right now, those orders are to kill all Freedom Fighters and their allies. Especially traitorous swine like you!"
Ivaldi was promptly shot in the chest with a cryoblaster.
"Ivaldi!" Nate cried.
"No!" Chris yelled.
"I've been wanting to do that for months!" the soldier turned to the others. "Alright, brats. What's it gonna be? You gonna come quietly? Or do you wanna be skewered on a spit like...?"
Suddenly, the soldiers were impaled by several, sharp, golden needles. Everyone turned to see Ivaldi standing, several bristles elongating from his body.
"That… was rude." Ivaldi retracted his spikes, the soldiers dropping dead. "Sorry kids, but it seems you've been found out."
"Honestly, not surprised," Chris admitted, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah," Keith remarked with a grimace. "We stand out way too much. Bunnie, can you move?
"Y-Yeah..." she got up, but stumbled a bit. "Need a sec to adjust to my limbs, but I'll make it."
"I'll get you out." Ivaldi pulled out a Bifrost Stone. The stone glowed as he activated it…only for the glow to fade.
"Blast!" the boar cursed. "They've locked down the facility, I can't access the Bifrost Network.
"Looks like we're getting out of here the old fashioned way," Gust said.
"You guys have anything we can use?" Chris asked.
"There's a snow cruiser hangar on the east side of the base," Nate said. "They had us running maintenance there before Miss Rabbot arrived."
"Perfect! Porker, Tekno, grab anything you can use as a weapon. We're outta here."
"Right!"
"On it!"
After grabbing some of their assailants' cryoblasters, the group headed out.
Draugr Deepwood
Back in Draugr Deepwood, Antoine and Firn's clash continued. Once again, Firn had the coyote on the defensive; his Ragnium-powered Fire Mode increasing his already impressive speeds to superhuman levels. While Antoine struggled to hit Firn before, now he struggled to keep the wolf from hitting him.
"You cannot win, Antoine D'Coolette. Surrender now and accept your death with grace."
"Never!" the coyote shouted. "I am a Knothole Freedom Fighter and a soldier of Acorn! We never surrender!"
Firn paused. "So be it."
The wolf thrust his claws forward in an attempt to stab Antoine through the chest, only for him to sidestep out of the way at the last possible second.
"There!"
Antoine thrust his sword into Firn's shoulder…
"Succès!" (10)
…only for the wolf's body to ripple and fade away.
"Une illusion!?" (11)
Antoine's ears perked as he spun around to find Firn materializing behind him, claws raised to swipe. Antoine blocked the wolf's swing, but Firn followed up with a second that broke his guard and caused him to lose his footing, allowing the Draugr to slash him across the chest, sending a spray of blood and scraps of fabric about the forest floor.
Antoine stumbled about, but planted his sword in the ground, keeping himself from falling. He tried to take a moment to catch his breath, but a shift in the air reminded him of Firn's presence. Quickly, he drew his blade and put up his guard, blocking a third strike from Firn and getting him in a grapple.
Firn eyed the coyote he had been facing off against. He was panting heavily, struggling to remain standing. But despite all of this, he still had the strength to keep fighting.
"You are strong," Firn said. "Fast too. No doubt from training with Sonic the Hedgehog."
Antoine smirked. "A true soldier...must be prepared...to face all kinds of…enemies."
"Agreed." Firn nodded. "But I doubt you prepared for one with superheated claws."
"Superheated…?"
Antoine let out a yelp as Firn's claws and arms began to glow red hot, the surrounding air growing hotter with it. Antoine felt as though he were standing right next to an open hearth…then, a bonfire…then, in a sauna. Then, it felt like he was standing in a burning building. He began to sweat from the heat, his stance wavering.
Seeing this, Firn raises his other claw and thrusts. Antoine dodged, but wasn't quite fast enough and it sliced him in the side. He winced, feeling the scorching metal slice through his flesh, the wounds stinging and burning at the same time. Firn took advantage of this and swung. This time, he managed to connect, slashing Antoine across the chest again. Antoine fell to his knees.
"Gah! Merde …" He clutched his wounds, gritting his teeth as he desperately tried to keep from touching the ground; for he knew doing so would be the end of him.
"You can't win this," Firn said, his Fire Mode deactivating. "You may possess skill, but I am a living weapon."
Antoine grits his teeth, tightening his grip on his sword.
"Then why am I still alive?" he asked.
Firn blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Weapons exist to kill people, right? So why am I still alive? You're clearly stronger than me. You could kill me an instant if you wished. You could've done so before I first called you out. Why?"
He was right. He had a perfect opportunity to finish him off right then and there. In fact, he'd had several opportunities to do so. But each time, he hadn't taken them. Why?
"I am…" Firn looked at his claws. "Unsure."
Firn looked at the wounded coyote, then at his claws. His bloodied, metal claws. Metal claws that could cut through flesh like it was paper. Metal claws that had once been flesh and fur. Claws that had ripped apart wild game. That had carved protective wards in the trees surrounding the village. Claws that had once held…
"Wh-What?"
"Tell me…" Antoine interrupted. "How long have you been an Einherjar?"
Firn snapped back to reality. "I was among the first chosen," he replied. "The first Einherjar trained by Master Tundra himself."
"The first taken ," Antoine corrected. "Tundra only came to power two years ago. That means you haven't been a fighter very long."
He pulled himself up. "While me? I've been fighting my entire life."
He gripped his sword. "Fighting to be noticed… to be heard… to be respected…"
He narrowed his eyes. "To be loved."
"Loved...RGH!"
Suddenly, Firn clutched his head and fell to his knees, startling Antoine.
"What...What is...this?" Firn asked, his voice filled with something Antoine hadn't heard since he met him…emotion. "What are these…what are these images…? Where did these people come from!? Who… Who are these people?"
Antoine blinked. "Firn?:
"Smoke… Fire… Screaming… Cold… Water… everywhere… Hungry...thirsty...so...tired..."
Firn started hyperventilating, then he started twitching and spasming. Then, he started clawing at his throat.
"Stop… please… no more!"
"Mon dieu!"
Finding new strength, Antoine ran over to try and help his opponent, who was becoming increasingly unstable and erratic.
"Firn! Firn, can you hear me!?" Antoine asked as he grabbed the wolf's hands.
"Screaming… all this screaming… and blood!"
"Just calm down! You're seeing things!"
"Get off me!"
Firn lashed out, smacking him away.
"Stay back! Don't...touch… leave… her… RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
Firn clutched his head as he lets out an agonized roar, the whole forest seeming to tremble. Seconds later, he stopped. His eyes going wide and his arms dropping down to his sides.
"Firn?" Antoine ask worriedly.
"Rebooting..." Firn said, his voice even more monotone than before. "Rebooting… Rebooting..."
His arms twitched as he slowly stood up, still leaned backward from when he screamed.
"Rebooting… Rebooting… Re–"
Once he was upright, his neck sharply snapped backward, then forward, then jerked to the side a few times. Finally, his neck snapped back in place, and he was back to his normal, emotionless self.
"Reboot complete."
Firn turns to Antoine as the coyote looks on in horror.
"Dear Aurora… I see now…" He slowly rose. "That's how deep your Cyberization goes…" He tightened his grip on his sword. "You have my deepest condolences..."
Firn blinked. "I do not know what you are talking about, but it matters not." He raised his claws. "By order of Master Tundra, you will die. And since Fire Mode was not enough to finish you… It is time to try Ice."
Firn stretched out his arms as they began to glow with a blue light.
"Tyr Drive, online. Engage...Ice Mode."
Nidavellir Labs
Porker and Tekno led the others down the halls, keeping their eyes peeled for attackers as they walked.
"Dr. Morgan, how much further is the hangar?"
"Not much farther. We just need to pass through the main area. Although, by now, it's probably swarming with…"
"Look out!"
Gust grabbed Nate by his shirt collar, pulling him out of the way of a cryoblast that would've flash froze his head.
"There they are! Get them!"
The group looked to see the entire main area was swarming with Einherjar. All different species, shapes, and sizes, but all armed to the teeth.
Keith swallowed nervously. "Whoa… that's a lot of Einherjar,"
"How the hell are we going to get past all of that!?" Tekno shouted.
"Easy..." Sealia drew a pair of cryoblasters from her belt. "We put them on ice…"
"BLIZZARD style," Gust finished, exhaling a puff of cold air with a grin.
"Ivaldi, are you as good a fighter as you are a scientist?" Sealia asked.
"I'm Einherjar, we're all fighters." He pointed to where he'd been shot in the chest.
"Then you, Augustus, and I will break their formation and draw their attention. When we do, the rest of you need to run for the hangar, taking down anyone who gets in your way. As soon as you get there, signal us and we'll join you."
"Sounds like a plan," Porker said.
Sealia nodded. "Augustus."
Gust picked Sealia up and slung her over his shoulder and Ivaldi removed his lab coat, revealing a sleeveless golden yellow shirt similar to Dr. Eggman's.
"Alright…the time has come, Vive la révolution! "
At that, Augustus and Ivaldi charged forward. As soon as they did, they were greeted by an onslaught of blasterfire from their opponents. The blasts did little to hinder them though, thanks to Ivaldi's metallic fur and Gust's impressive muscle.
"Auguste, déverrouille le cercueil!" (12)
"Tu l'as, ma sœur!" (13)
Augustus took a deep breath and let out a literal roaring typhoon of freezing air. The Einherjar attempted to stand their ground, but many were ultimately sent flying by the gale force winds, while the rest were caked in ice, which the polar bear took full advantage of, sending them flying with a swing of his mighty arms.
"Magnifique, petit frère!" (14) Sealia perked, catching the glow of blasters out the corner of her eye. "Now, it's my turn."
Sealia sat up as she primed her cryoblasters, fighting them at the Einherjar that were preparing to shoot at them. The blasts hit their marks on the spot, encasing their blasters - and their hands - in ice.
"Ivaldi, if you'd be so kind…!"
"No trouble at all!"
Ivaldi ran ahead of Augustus and Sealia.
"Hey guys, look! It's the pig!" one of the Einherjar shouted.
"Sweet, I'm in the mood for roast pork," said another.
"I got the apple right here!" chimed a third, who had pulled out a round, high-tech grenade.
"Pork jokes…" Ivaldi let out a furious snort. "Everywhere I go, pork jokes!"
He redoubled his charge, then flexed his arms, causing his muscles to bulge nearly twice their size and his fur to extend and puff out into thick, spiny armor…to the shock and horror of his enemies.
"What the fugg!?"
Ivaldi let out a loud, guttural squeal as he clotheslined his way through the soldiers, scattering them everywhere. He then proceeded to go on a rampage, beating the stuffing out of all the Einherjar near him.
"Whoa…" Chris said. "Glad he's on our side."
Tekno swallowed nervously. "Boars do have a violent reputation."
"Dammnit, how can he be so strong!? He's a toymaker!" One of the Einherjar said.
"He may be strong, but he's not invincible!" the grenade-bearer shouted as he activated his explosive. "Eat this, Porky!"
He threw the grenade right as Ivaldi let out another squeal of rage, the grenade landing right in his mouth. He let out a confused groan as the sphere beeped, then exploded.
"Ivaldi!" Porker cried out.
"Ha! Got him!" the bomber cheered as he pumped his fist. "Too bad about his head though, now we can't mount it on the…wall?"
As the smoke cleared, the group looked on in shock to see that Ivaldi had not only survived the blast, but he was completely intact and unharmed.
He coughed. "Aggh…my jaw…" Almost unharmed.
The bomb-thrower let out a pathetic whimper as the golden boar turned to him, snarling viciously.
"Please don't break my butt," he begged.
"Alright," Ivaldi replied.
"Truly?" the bomber asked hopefully.
Ivaldi narrowed his eyes. "No."
The last thing the bomber saw before losing consciousness was several hundred pounds of angry, hairy pig charging right at him.
-X-
Meanwhile, Sealia and Augustus continued their own onslaught; slamming and shooting the horde away.
"Adieu, adieu! To you and you and you!" Sealia sung as she capped off the enemies.
As she fired, she noticed that Chris and the others had yet to move from their hiding place.
"Why are you all just standing there!?" she called out. "Move! Courir! (15)"
"Ah, right!" Chris replied. "C'mon guys!"
At that, the group ran out, making their way to the other side of the room.
"The tinkerers are escaping!" an Einherjar shouted. "Stop them!"
At that, several Einherjar turned their attention to them and unleashed a volley of cryoblasts.
"Crap, we're gonna get iced!" Porker shouted.
"Not if we can help it!" Chris said. "Keith, Nitro Pulse!"
"On it!"
Keith raised his glove, charging up a Nitro Ball, but instead of throwing it, he squeezed it, crushing it in his hand.
"Have a taste of this!" He opened his hand, unleashing a wave of multicolored energy and kinetic force. The wave blew through the enemy projectiles, destroying most of them and blowing the rest off course.
"Attack neutralized. Chris, finish them with a Nitro Slasher!"
"Can do!"
Chris raised his own gloved hand, charging up his own Nitro Ball. Once he did, he started rolling it around in his hand like a pair of medicine balls. With each second, his increased the speed of his rolling, causing the ball to grow unstable.
"Alright, that should do it." He threw the ball into a crowd of Einherjar, striking one in the face. The ball exploded as usual, but the blast was much larger and released several, multicolored chevrons in different directions, slicing up the Einherjar and blowing them away at the same time.
"Got'em!"
"What in tarnation was that?"
"New techniques, we'll tell you later!" Chris shouted.
"C'mon people, let's move!" Keith snapped, urging them to run for it.
The group made a mad dash for the path to the hangar, fighting their way through the free-for-all that had enveloped the base. Blasters fired, grenades exploded, winds raged, pigs squealed. All in all, it was complete pandemonium. But eventually, Chris' group managed to reunite with the vanguard and make their way to the end.
"They're getting away, somebody stop them!"
"We're almost there!" Bunnie shouted.
"Nobody can stop us!" Porker added.
"Goin' somewhere?"
Freedom Fighter and Einherjar alike froze as footsteps echoed through the base. They turned toward the loading dock and were greeted by the last face they hoped to see.
"Grinder," Chris said.
"Crap, I forgot all about her," Keith added.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the Head of Security said as she looked around. "Our prisoners are escaping, the Freedom Fighters are attacking, and my husband is pounding the snot out of our men."
"Husband!?" the Freedom Fighters shouted as they turned to Ivaldi.
"Ivaldi, explain yourself," Grinder demanded.
"What's there to explain, Tangris?" Ivaldi asked. "I'm merely doing what I wish I had done a long time ago."
"That's Grinder to you, swine!" the goat snapped. "You dare turn your back on Master Tundra? After you swore your undying loyalty to him?"
"Oh come off it, Tanny! You and I both know that Tundra's on a path of self destruction! Look around you for Thor's sake!" Ivaldi gestured around him. "You really want to be a part of this shit show?! All that's gonna come of this is mass slaughter! Get your head out of that walrus' ass and think for yourself already!"
Suddenly, Grinder appeared right in front of Ivaldi and punched him in the stomach, laying him out.
"Filthy oathbreaker."
At that, the Einherjar cheered at their leader's victory. While the Freedom Fighters looked on in shock.
"Holy…she took out Ivaldi in one punch!" Chris said.
"I didn't even see her move!" Keith added.
"She didn't even use Ragnium…!" Nate chimed in.
"You there!" Grinder called out to one of her soldiers. "Damage report."
"Y-Yes, sir!" the Einherjar saluted. "We currently have seventy-seven troops, sir!"
"How many did you start with?"
"Uhhh…a hundred and fifty?"
"What!? Are you telling me they took out over half our force!?"
"Uhhh…y-yes?"
Grinder scowled as she turned to her downed husband. "Ivaldi… you fat bastard!"
She raised her leg over Ivaldi's head, preparing to crush it like a bug.
"No!" Chris shouted.
"Do it, Chief! Kill the pig!" an Einherjar shouted, prompting several more to begin a rabid chanting.
"Kill the pig! Kill the pig!"
"Tangris…" Ivaldi said weakly.
"I don't wanna hear it!" Grinder barked. "I warned you what would happen if you didn't keep your promise, Ivaldi!"
She raised her boot, her men waiting in eager anticipation to crush her husband's skull…only for her to turn around and spin kick the Einherjar she'd been speaking to right in the head, launching him into the wall.
"What the…!?" Chris said.
"You promised that when we finally got out of here, I'd get to beat all of these shitheads to death! Now I have to settle for half of them! What do you have to say for yourself!?"
Ivaldi grunted and got to his feet, wiping his face. "Did you have to punch the boy?"
"Yes!" She pulled the boar in for a kiss. "Nobody calls you a fat swine but me, you fat swine!"
"Not that guy, he had it coming. I'm talking about the kid, Tanny."
"Same thing!"
"What the heck is going on here?" Gust asked.
"Is Grinder… on our side?" Sealia added.
"Hey, shitheads!" Grinder turned to the Freedom Fighters. "What the hell are you still doing here!? Get your asses to the hangar and get the hell out!"
"Y-Yes sir!"
At that, the Freedom Fighters ran off, leaving Ivaldi and Grinder alone with the Einherjar.
"Finally, thought they'd never…"
''Traitor!"
Grinder turned around to see an Einherjar rush at her with a high-tech axe, which she caught with her teeth. She then pulled back, ripping the axe-head clean off the shaft, leaving the wielder and many others standing in shock.
"Holy…"
"Dish axe ish in shit condition, soljur." Grinder bit into the axe-head, shattering it before spitting it out. "I thought I taught you better than that."
"Get them!"
With a mighty warcry, the remaining Einherjar charged right Grinder and Ivaldi, weapons drawn and ready to slaughter them.
"Finally!" Grinder shouted as she threw off her jacket. "I've been waiting to do this for the past year and a half!"
"You and me both, Tanny," Ivaldi said as he spiked up his fur again.
"So, the usual wager?"
"Whoever takes down the most gets to pick dinner?"
"Dinner?" Grinder chuckled. "Yeah, sure, let's go with that."
"Haaa… you're incorrigible, you know that?"
"Isn't that why you married me?"
Ivaldi grinned. "Damn right, I did."
-X-
Meanwhile, the Freedom Fighters made their way to the hangar.
"Whew! We made it!" Chris shouted.
"Alright, which one of these cruisers should we take?" Keith asked.
"Take one of the blue ones!" Porker said, pointing to the aforementioned cruisers. "They're built for speed and have a stealth mode!"
"Perfect!"
The group ran for the cruisers and began to get situated.
"Do you think Ivaldi and Grinder are gonna be okay?" Tekno asked.
"They survived becoming Einherjar without losing their minds or their morals," Gust said. "There's no way they're gonna die so easily."
"Good point."
"Now, let's get outta here and go find Antoine," Chris said.
"Wait, Antoine?" Bunnie asked.
"Yeah, he came with us to save you," Keith explained.
"He… He did?" For a brief moment, Bunnie was touched…until she realized one glaring problem. "Wait, if he came with you, where is he!?"
Draugr Deepwood
Antoine ran through the forest as fast as his legs would carry him; a task he was growing to detest every moment he did so. First and foremost, he was running away from his opponent. In another time and place, he would've done so in a heartbeat. But here and now, it left a bad taste in his mouth, one far worse than the blood.
Second, the opponent he was running from had left him badly wounded. His coat had been shredded to bits, as had his shirt and one of his boots and pant legs, revealing the fresco of injuries and future scars he'd picked up.
Third and finally, he was - again - running away from his opponent. An opponent who had proven to be a vastly different beast that the cold, heartless assassin he thought he was.
All in all, this proved to be a very bad day.
"Target acquired."
One that just kept getting worse.
Antoine leapt to the side, just in time to avoid a concentrated blast of cold.
" Zut! " he cursed. "How did he catch up to me already!?"
The high-pitched whir of energy gathering greeted his ears again, prompting him to dive into the forest to avoid another blast. He took a few seconds to catch his breath, then immediately resumed his flight, this going into the woods.
"Alright, get it together, Antoine!" He clapped his face with his hands. "You've faced much worse than this. This man is nothing! You just need to think of a plan! You–!"
Suddenly, he was cut off by the sound of screeching brakes and a bright flash.
" Zut alors! "
The object crashed into him, sending him flying into a tree, knocking him out.
-X-
"...toine…Ant…can…me?"
Antoine groaned as he opened his eyes, his vision blurry.
"Hey, I thin…coming to!"
"Oooooooh…" Antoine sat up. "Ma tête douloureuse… (16) What hit me?"
"That would be us…"
Antoine looked up, his vision beginning to come into focus, finding himself face to face with…
"Augustus?"
"Hey buddy!" the polar bear greeted with a happy, but awkward smile. "You hear any ringing in your ears? How many fingers am I holding up?"
He held up three fingers.
"Ehhh… trois?"
"Ohh, thank Odin!" he sighed in relief. "For a minute, I thought we turned you into le roadkill."
"We?"
"Antoine!"
There was a rush of something, then Antoine had the breath knocked out of him by Bunnie..
"Bunnie…?!" he managed.
"You fugging idiot!" she snapped. "Fighting a Draugr on your own?! Without back-up?!"
Suddenly, Bunnie is cut off by Antoine hugging her.
"You're here...you're alive..." he cringed, wincing. " Des côtes... mes côtes! (17)"
"Whoops!" Bunnie pulled away, allowing her to get a good look at Antoine's injuries. "Oh Aurora…How in tarnation are you alive? Look at ya!"
"What, this? Just a scratch… Nothing…" Antoine winced, clutching a burn. "Merde…"
Keith was already on the alert, his Nitro Glove powering up. "Where's Firn? I don't like being out in the open with that freak running around."
Antoine perked. "Zut! I forgot! We need to go, now! Firn is-!"
"Right here."
Antoine's eyes widened. "Everybody get down!"
Everyone hits the ground as another ice blast tore through the forest. When it cleared, the Freedom Fighters looked up to see a trail of ice and snow.
"Leaving so soon, D'Coolette?"
The group turned to see Firn. The wolf's body was glowing with icy blue circuit lines, but most shockingly, he was clad in a suit of armor made of solid ice. Each of his arms ended with a cannon.
"What the hell?!" Gust exclaimed.
"That's Firn?" Keith questioned.
"I thought he was supposed to be a sneaky assassin!" Tekno cried.
"It would seem he had some upgrades," Sealia mused.
"Antoine, what's the plan?" Chris asked.
Antoine swallowed nervously. "We run. We need to get as far away from him as possible."
"Like hell we do!" Gust shouted as he charged at Firn.
"Augustus, no!" Sealia cried out.
"C'mon, ya mutt! Let's see you take this!"
Gust pulled back his fist and punched Firn; but to his shock, he didn't even crack his armor.
"What!?"
"Pointless." Firn aimed one of his arm cannons at Gust, blue energy rapidly forming in the barrel. The polar bear looked on in horror as he realize how badly he'd screwed up.
"Gust, move!" Chris shouted, snapping him out of his stupor.
He threw himself aside as a Nitro Ball came flying in, hitting Firn's cannon and knocking his aim off. The blast hit a tree, which became fully encased in ice in mere seconds.
"Whoa..." Tekno whispered.
"Guys, I think now would be a good time to go with Antoine's plan!" Porker shouted.
"There is no escape," Firn said. "Prepare yourself for Vichama's cold embrace."
"Embrace this!"
Keith threw a Nitro Ball at Firn. Right as it was about to strike him, ball exploded, giving off a blinding flash. Firn yelped as he shielded his eyes; the reflective sheen of his armor intensifying the already crippling brightness.
"Quick, get in the cruiser!" Keith called out, prompting everyone to get back inside.
As soon as they did, Gust turned on the ignition and floored the gas, putting as much distance between them and the wolf as possible.
"Clever..." Firn said, having finally regained his bearings. "But all you've done is delay the inevitable."
He took a breath as his circuit lines turned orange. His armor melting away.
"Fenris Drive. Fire Mode."
-X-
"Alright, hold still…"
Back in the cruiser, Keith got to work patching up Antoine's injuries. Though, he earned a strange look from the coyote when he pulled out a handful of fur instead of the usual Power Ring capsule.
"Don quoi?"
"Just trust me, this is cool."
Keith put the hair on Antoine's torso and watched as it dissolved into his skin. Within seconds, the worst of Antoine's injuries had faded away, along with a portion of his fatigue.
"Sacre bleu..."
"Healing nanofibres," Keith explained. "A little parting gift from Director Ivaldi. He used them to make Bunnie a new set of limbs."
Antoine smiled at that. "Then I owe him my thanks if our paths ever cross."
"Antoine, what happened out there? What the heck was that?" Chris asked.
"Remember when Aggie said that the Einherjar used Ragnium in their implants as a secret weapon?" he explained. "That was it."
"The Ragnium Dual Power Boost System," Tekno explained. "The Einherjar use it to shift into one of two modes: Fire and Ice."
"And us without our resident pyromancer," Chris sighed.
"Technically she's pyrokinetic…"
"Keith, not now."
Sealia turned to Nate. "Docteur Morgan, you worked on the Einherjars' implants while you were held captive. Can you tell us anything about this Boost System?"
"Of course," Nate replied, adjusting his glasses. "To make a long story short, the system is designed to separate the clashing hot and cold energies that give Ragnium its potent, but unstable power."
"Hot and...cold energies?" Porker asked. "How is that even possible?"
"Pork, not the time," Chris cut in.
"Sorry…"
"Anyway..." Nate continued. "By using specially treated implants, the Einherjar are able to use these energies to overclock their systems in the form of two different battle modes: Fire and Ice. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
"Ice Mode uses cold energy to increase the user's durability and strength, while sapping those of their enemies. While Fire Mode focuses more on speed and energy projection."
"Fast is right," Antoine cut in. "When Firn is in Fire Mode, he's almost as fast as Sonic."
"Yeah, I know," Chris said.
Antoine raised an eyebrow. "You know?"
"How?" Keith asked.
"Because he's in it right now."
Chris pointed to the side of the cruiser, causing everyone to turn toward it slowly. Sure enough, there was Firn; shrouded in flame and running right alongside them, waving.
"Gust?" Chris said.
"Yeah…" the polar bear replied.
"Floor it!"
"Flooring!"
Gust slammed on the gas, the cruiser pulling ahead with Firn in literal hot pursuit and gaining rapidly.
"Faster! Faster! FASTER WOULD BE BETTER!" Porker shouted.
"I'm giving it all she's got!" Gust snapped.
"Well, give it more! He's-!"
Suddenly, Firn's superheated claws tear into the wall. Slicing them across with a loud screech.
"What do we do now?!" Tekno cried.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking!" Chris shouted.
"Wait, I've got it!" Keith shouted. "Dr. Morgan, they can switch between fire and ice, right? How long can they maintain either one?"
"About a minute at a time, give or take," Nate replied. "Any longer and the Ragnium starts to damage their bodies."
"What's the plan?" Porker asked.
"Fire and ice, Pork," Keith replied. "They're opposites, so I'll bet my glasses that whenever they're in one mode…"
"They're vulnerable to the opposite!" Tekno finished. "Of course! Your classic case of Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors!"
"But where are we gonna get the fire!?" Chris demanded.
Antoine thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers.
"I've got it!" he declared. "Chris, Keith, give me–!"
"Here he comes!" Bunnie shouted.
The others turned to see Firn tear off the wall.
"Finally," the Draugr said. "Now I have you right where I…"
Firn was caught off by the sound of a blaster powering up. And found himself staring down the barrel of Sealia's cryoblasters.
"Bonjour, Monsieur grand, méchant loup, (17)" she greeted. " Et au revoir! "
Sealia fired her blaster, but Firn easily dodged. Unfortunately, it cost him some speed, allowing the cruiser to pull far ahead of him. To his surprise, however, instead of continuing to flee, it turned around and started barreling toward him.
"What the…?"
"Augustus!" Sealia shouted. "Huff and puff and blow him away!"
Augustus took a breath, then let out another roar; shattering the windshield and blowing glass and freezing air at Firn.
"Dammit, they're burning through my Fire Mode!" Firn cursed. "They must've figured out the weakness! I..."
Firn spasms slightly, his eyes growing unfocused.
"No! Remain…calm…I am Einherjar...I...feel…no fear…I…"
He continued twitching, his breathing growing erratic. His mind was overloaded with strange, unfamiliar sensations.
But…were they…unfamiliar?
He…
He twitched one last time, snapping his body and posture back in place.
"Deactivating Fenris Drive," he intoned. "Tyr Drive, engage."
Firn switched to Ice Mode. His circuitry line turning blue as his armor formed around him.
"He switched!" Gust shouted. "Grab ahold of something!"
Gust turns as hard as he could the wheel, causing the cruiser to spin around. As soon as the torn wall was exposed, Antoine leapt out, sword drawn.
"You!" Firn shouted.
"Firn!" Antoined called out. "I just figured out another reason why emotions are a strength!"
"What are you…?"
Firn stopped as he looked at Antoine's sword. The blade was red hot, streams of multicolored energy dancing about it. He followed the streams down and found that Antoine had discarded his normal gloves for Chris and Keith's Nitro Gloves; which were active and running at full power.
"No..." Firn whispered.
"Take this!"
Antoine thrust his sword into Firn's armor; the ice melting on contact with a steamy hiss as the blade cuts through.
"No…No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A sickening squelch filled the air, followed by the sickening grind of metal on metal. Firn stood there, in disbelief, Antoine's sword sticking out of his chest; his heart pierced.
"H-How…?" Firn asked in disbelief. "Where…did you get…that…?"
"I told you… fear gives us focus. Anger, drive. You have no fear, so you never take your fights seriously. You have no anger, so you've no drive to improve or push forward. You just go through the motions and follow orders with barely any thought. That and your Modes were so powerful, the very idea of someone finding their weakness was inconceivable. So when someone did, you had no idea how to fight back other than keep using them…because it's all you know how to do."
"I…am…Einherjar…" Firn said. "I…am… a weapon…"
"Not anymore…"
Antoine withdrew his blade, allowing Firn to fall to the ground.
The wolf layed on the ground, still alive, but rapidly bleeding out; his armor melting away as he took shallow, ragged breaths.
"I'm sorry that it had to come to this, Firn," Antoine said, looking over his foe sorrowfully.
"Why? I am...your enemy...You...won..."
Antoine nodded. "You are...and I did...But that doesn't mean I'm happy about it. You weren't always like this. You weren't always a killer. In fact, if we had met you earlier. Maybe things could've been different."
"You know... nothing of who... I was…" Firn took a shuddering breath. " I … know nothing...of who...I was..."
"Do you?"
"Whoever I was died long ago… Drowned...in the freezing seas of Helheim..." A single tear fell from Firn's eye. "Just like...all the others..."
"I don't think so." Antoine knelt down, set his blade aside, and wiped away the tear. "When I told you how I was able to keep going despite all the punishment you put me through, it...stirred something inside you."
Firn shook his head. "Doesn't... matter… I can't remember now… Wouldn't do me any…"
He froze. "Wait… What's… happening? What is this… this feeling? These… images? They seem… familiar."
Antoine paused. "What do you see?"
"I see… A village in a forest… Buildings made of wood and straw… I see… people. Other wolves..."
Antoine nodded as he listened. "Go on. What else do you see?"
"The other wolves… I see them… hunting. Fishing… Eating… dancing…"
Antoine took his hand. "Who stands out? Anyone at all?"
"Just one… a woman. She… she looks like she's standing right in front of me. She's… smiling. Laughing…" Firn's eyes lit up. "She's… walking towards me..."
Antoine smiled. "Go to her, Firn. She's waiting for you."
Antoine watched a smile crept over Firn's face; the first one he'd seen since he met the wolf. Firn let out a single shaky breath. His eyes grew clouded. His hand, cold.
"Reposez en paix, enfant du Nord." (18) Antoine gently laid Firn's hand on the ground, then slowly closed his eyes. "Reposez en paix."
He picked up his sword, only for the blade to shatter in his hand.
"Haaa...zut!" Antoine screamed, throwing the hilt to the ground. "Well Firn, it seems you managed a victory of sorts after all."
"Antoine!"
Antoine looked up and saw Bunnie and the others running toward him.
"Bunnie...every...one..." he made to go toward them, only to stumble over as his knees gave out. The fatigue from the battle finally caught up to him. Fortunately, Bunnie made it in time and caught him.
"Easy there, sugah," she said as she slung his arm over her shoulders.
"Antoine, you did it!" Chris cheered.
"You actually killed Firn!" Gust chimed in.
"Non..." Antoine cut in, giving everyone pause. "I didn't kill Firn. He was a Draugr… He was already dead."
He gave Firn's remains one last look. A final, silent farewell to the man he once was.
"Come, let's get out of here."
Everyone made their way back to the cruiser.
"Bunnie…" Antoine said. "I am sorry..."
"You got nothin' to be sorry for," she replied. "You came for me."
"A week after...they took you." He grit his teeth in disgust. "Because I...wasn't strong enough. I promised your uncle I would keep you safe, and I… Whoa!"
"Hun…" Bunnie said as she pulled Antoine onto her back. "Shut up."
"But..."
"But nothing!" she snapped. You came and that's all that matters. Now come on...let's get outta here. We got a long way to go get back home and a lot more work to get done when we do."
"Oui, ma cher..." Antoine sighed.
Author's Note:
(1): Goodnight, Mr. Vikin
(2): All clear! Hurry!
(3): Nice work
(4): Mr. Hedgehog
(5): Ms. Badger
(6): Quickly!
(7): Well done, my friend.
(8): "Control yourself!" French interjection for "Snap out of it!"
(9): Motherfuckers
(10): Success!
(11): An illusion!
(12): "Augustus, unlock the casket!" Reference to the Casket of Ancient Winters from Marvel.
(13): You got it, sister!
(14): Magnificent, little brother!
(15): Run!
(16): My aching head…
(17): Hello, Mr. Big Bad Wolf
(18): Rest in Peace, Child of the North.
And with that, half of the Frozen Four has fallen, and we set the record for most translation notes in one chapter. Next time, we visit the birthplace of the Einherjar: Helheim
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Grinder: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Coach Brunt from Carmen Sandiego 2019, Zahra from The Legend of Vox Machina, Dr. Maheswaren from Steven Universe and Steven Universe: Future, Abigail Brand from The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Lieutenant Matilda in Mobile Suit Gundam I, Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kurenai Yuhi, Mei Terumi, Katsuyu, and Koharu Utatane in Naruto, Cornelia li Britannia in Code Geass, Queen Metalia in Sailor Moon Crystal, Julia in Cowboy Bebop, Kanna Kirishima in Sakura Wars: The Movie)
* Ivaldi: Michael Dorn (Coldstone from Gargoyles, Worf from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Kalibak from the DCAU, Mozar from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012, I.M. Weasel in I Am Weasel, Lord Darkar in the Nickelodeon dub of Winx Club)
Please R&R. Until next time!