-Chapter 282-
Put the Hell in Helheim
WARNING! The following chapter contains images of graphic violence and dark subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised.
Icy Isle
A Warp Ring opened up in the forests of Icy Isle, depositing Sally, Amy, Erma, Sticks, and Shard.
"Alright, this is the place, Icy Isle."
"Brrrr!" Sticks hugged herself, shaking. "Icy is right! It's like, freakin' Artika out here!"
Amy gave her a blank look. "Sticks, this is Artika."
Sticks blinked. "...Oh yeah."
"Let's just stay on mission," Sally checked Nicole's handheld. "Nicole, how close are we to Helheim?"
"I'm picking up strong readings of Chaos energy southwest of here," Nicole reported.
"That's gotta be the Primal Aurora," Shard realized.
"Then that's where we're going," Erma immediately headed off. "C'mon, let's move."
"Whoa! Erma, wait up!" Amy called out as she and the others ran after her.
"Yeesh, someone's eager," Sticks deadpanned.
"Yes…" Sally whispered worriedly. "A little too eager."
Flashback...
"Alright, all that leaves now is Helheim," Sally mused. "And that's going to be tough to deal with."
"What can you tell us about this place, Aggie?" Hope asked.
"Not a lot," Eggatha replied. "Helheim may not be as secretive as Nidavellir, but it's pretty close. All I know is that it's an Einherjar training camp. I tried hacking the database… but it turns out they don't have a computer network!"
"Seriously!?" Sonic exclaimed. "What kind of Egg Base doesn't have a computer!?"
"One who's commander couldn't work them to save her life," Erma explained. "That and it's smack dab in the middle of a Primal Aurora."
"Primal…Aurora?" Tails repeated.
"It's a type of natural phenomenon found only in Artika," Rotor explained. "They occur when the Chaos Energy in the area reacts with the planet's magnetic field. It creates these beautiful northern lights, but also a lot of powerful electrical interference."
"Sounds like trouble for us Chaos users and robots," Sonic remarked.
"Not necessarily," Guntiver reached into his pocket. "Let's see now...Aha!" He pulled out a strange, mechanical device. Here it is!"
Rotor perked. "Is that...?"
"Yup!" Flip confirmed. "One of your old APDs!"
Rotor's eyes lit up. "You…You got it to work!?"
"Yup! Well…actually, Doc Morgan did, but he couldn't have done it if you hadn't laid the groundwork!"
Rotor smiled.
"So, what is that thing?" Sonic asked.
"One of Boomer's first big gadgets: the Aurora Penetration Device!" Flip snickered while the rest of BLIZZARD gave Flip a deadpan stare.
"I don't get it," Skeeter mused.
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"
"I was ten!" Rotor said defensively. "I sucked at naming things!"
"Anyway..." Gunt cut in. "This device allows any machine connected to it to function in an area with a Primal Aurora, assuming the interference isn't too powerful. But this should be more than sufficient for Helheim's."
Shard nodded. "Alright then, lemme test it."
"Rotor?"
Rotor took the device. "Hope I still remember how to do this..."
Rotor opened up Shard's chest compartment and began fiddling around inside him, installing the device. "Alright...that should do it."
"I will require one as well," Nicole said.
"I'll get it!" Flip ran off.
"While he's doing that, let's decide who will be part of the rescue team," Eggatha said.
"I already said I'm going, no exceptions," Erma declared.
"Nicole and I will be going as well," Sally chimed in.
"You sure, Princess?" Erma remarked, her voice containing a hint of condescension. "This ain't gonna be a trip to the skating rink."
Sally turned to Erma, her eyes narrowing. "I've been fighting and leading the Knothole Freedom Fighters against the Empire for over two years, Erma. I may not have Chaos energy powers or superhuman strength, but I'm far from helpless."
"So you say."
"Erma."
Erma turned to see Guntiver narrowing his eyes at her. The ermine rolled her eyes.
"Alright, you can come along." She then turned to Amy. "Hey Pinky, feel like teaming up again?"
Amy paused. "Me?!"
"Hold on," Sally interjected. "You can't just decide-!"
"She managed to stun Glacia with that hammer of hers. We could use someone with real strength. Plus, you wanna save your friends, right?"
"Of course!" Amy nodded
Sally narrowed her eyes, but she let it slide.
"Well, if we're gonna need more muscle, then we'd best take Shard as well."
Shard saluted. "Happy to help, Sally."
"Hrrrrm…yeah, fine. That should be enough to–"
"Hold it!" Everyone turned to Sticks. "I'm coming too!"
"You?" Erma questioned.
"Sticks, are you serious?" Amy asked.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"
"It's just…this is going to be extremely dangerous," Sally pointed out.
Sticks gave her a flat look. "We fight a mad scientist with delusions of grandeur and his robot army often enough to make a TV show out of it, Sally. Of course, it's gonna be dangerous. Besides, this is a prison break, and I'm a certified master of the art of prison breaks, as my record of busting out of nearly every cage and cell the others have tried to keep me in can attest."
"It's true," Sonic confirmed with slight annoyance.
Erma sighed. "Look, Sticks…as much as I like your enthusiasm, we're going to be going up against some of the nastiest bunch of warriors in all of Mobius. So unless you can hold your own in a fight, you're better off staying here." She narrowed her eyes. "Where you won't be in the way."
Sticks narrowed her eyes back.
"Hold on, Erma," Sally cut in. "Sticks may not be a fighter, but nobody can set up or sabotage a trap like she does. Besides, our first priority is freeing the prisoners and shutting down the base."
"But…!"
"She's right, Erma," Gunt said. "You've seen what Helheim does to people, and you swore, remember?"
Erma grimaced but sighed. "Fine, she can come."
Sticks grinned.
"So, how are we gonna do this?" Shard asked.
"Well, first we'll need to acquire the exact coordinates of the bases," Eggatha replied. "Getting those will be easy. All you'll need to do is steal them from any Einherjar's Bifrost Stone. After that, you should be able to warp to Icy Isle without issue."
"I'm back!" Flip returned. "Sorry it took so long, folks! But here it is, another Aurora Penetration Device!"
Flip snickered again, causing everyone to groan. "That's never not funny!"
"I still don't get it!" Skeeter replied.
"Well Skeeter…" Sticks started to explain.
"STICKS!"
"What?"
Erma facepalmed. "We're doomed."
Icy Isle
Erma and the others continued their trek through the forest. The others noticed how serious she was.
"Pssst!" Sticks let out. "Hey Erma, hey!"
"Uuuuugh…" Erma sighed. "What is it?"
"This is probably a bad time, but..."
"And yet you're bringing it up anyway."
"You got anything to eat?"
"Seriously, Sticks?" Amy demanded.
"What?" Sticks defended. "All I had was one frozen corndog at the stadium before we left! Barely had enough time to thaw it out."
"And you didn't think to bring any food with you?" Shard questioned.
"I didn't have enough room in my Sticks Survival Sack." Sticks held up a sack of stuff.
"What do you have in that thing?" Sally questioned, already dreading the answer.
"Let's see..." Sticks started rummaging through the sack. "Tinfoil, spare burrowing shovel, assorted anti-spook charms, alien repellent..."
Erma raised an eyebrow. "Alien repellent?"
"After the Black Arms, I ain't takin' no more chances."
Sally looked at the can. "Sticks, that's a can of weedkiller."
"Exactly! How else are you gonna deal with the pod people from Planet Plant?"
"I hope you don't use that around Cosmo," Amy remarked.
"Speakin' of, where is she?"
"Enough!" Erma snapped. "We're wasting time!"
Erma stormed off at that.
"Erma, wait!" Sally cried.
"Jeez, what crawled up her butt?" Sticks sniffed. "Hm? Whuzzat?"
She sniffed around. "You guys smell that?"
Shard looked around. "Smell...what?"
"Nature's bounty! Edible sustenance! FOOD!" Sticks took off.
"Sticks!" Amy shouted.
"So…" Erma began, "She's insane, right?"
-X-
Meanwhile, Sticks was sniffing around like a wild animal, trying to track the scent.
"C'mon… where are you… I know you're here..." Sticks took a deep whiff. "Aha!"
She ran over to a tree, looking behind the root to find a cluster of mushrooms.
"There you are! Come to Mommy, precious..."
She slowly reached for the shrooms.
"DON'T EAT THAT!" a voice screeched.
Sticks froze. "Huh!? Whozzat!?"
She started twitching back and forth as she looked around. After a bit of searching, she looked up and saw a figure nestled in the branches.
"TREE PEOPLE!" Sticks gasped before letting out a loud warcry to signal the others. The figure freaked out before jumping down toward her.
"Guys! Bogies! Bad-!" Sticks' words were muffled as the figure clamped a hand over Sticks' mouth.
"Shut up, you idiot!"
"Sticks!" Amy called out, distracting Sticks' assailant long enough for her to bite her hand.
The figure let out a pained yell, releasing her.
"Help! We're under attack!" Sticks shrieked as she ran off. "Mayday! Mayday!"
"Dammit!" The figure chased after her.
-X-
"Sticks, where are you!?" Amy called out.
"Nicole, see if you can track her biosignature!" Sally ordered.
"Tracking!" Nicole beeped for a moment. "Sticks the Badger signal incoming in..."
"Gah!"
At that, Sticks ran right into Sally, knocking her over.
"Never mind."
"Ow…" Sticks muttered in a daze. Once she shook it off, she saw Sally and immediately grabbed hold of her.
"Sally! Food! Smell! Mushrooms! Tree People! Trouble! Big! Baste a turkey!"
"You were picking mushrooms, but someone came from the trees and tried to capture you?!" Sally exclaimed.
"You UNDERSTOOD THAT?!" Erma shouted.
"I've picked up 'Sticks speak' after a while."
"Never mind that!" the badger screeched. "This forest is inhabited by Tree People! This island's home to two hostile forces!"
"Jeez Princess," a voice came. "I disappear for a while and suddenly I'm hostile?"
Sticks snapped into a combat stance. "They're here!"
The group watched as Sticks' attacker stepped forward, revealing a small figure in a ragged cloak.
"What the...?" Shard managed. "Who are you?"
"She's probably an Einherjar!" Erma accused before rushing forward. "Grab her!"
"Erma, wait!" Sally called out.
Erma kicked at the figure, who dodged before one of their arms swelled into a massive paw.
"What the!?" Erma cried before being smashed into the snow.
"You done?" The wind blew the figure's hood back, revealing the face of a Mobian tanuki. "Or do I need to knock someone out?"
"What the...!?" Amy gasped.
"It's you!" Sally exclaimed.
"I remember you!" Sticks recalled. "You're that magic...inflatable...raccoon girl from Chris' school! Unagi? Umami?"
"Umaru, and I prefer Valerie." Valerie shifted into her blonde-haired human form. "Valerie Ngyuen, a pleasure."
Erma's eyes widened in shock as she took in what just happened. "Did...did that raccoon just turn into a human?"
Valerie's eyes narrowed. "I'm a tanuki, you jackass! Do I look like a trash panda to you?"
"Whoa there!" Shard exclaimed.
Val took a breath, regaining her composure.
"Sorry...It's been… rough."
"Valerie, what are you doing here?" Sally asked. "You just up and vanished after the Black Arms invasion."
Valerie sighed. "Long story short, I needed to disappear and trusted the wrong people. I was sold to the Einherjar and sent here for 'training'. Luckily, I managed to escape and I've been trying to survive ever since."
"You were sold!?" Amy screamed.
"We can worry about that later," Valerie cut in. "If you guys are here, I'm assuming there's some big trouble going on?"
"The head-honcho of this place is Rotor's brainwashed dad who everyone thought was dead and he just pulled a Frosted (1) on Station Square," Sticks listed off casually.
Val blinked. "Huh. Okay then. Follow me." She motioned them to follow her.
-X-
The group arrived at the edge of the forest.
"How...much further is it?" Sticks panted.
"Just a bit further," Valerie replied. "Just keep your voice down. We can not afford to be caught."
"Hey, what was that?"
The group froze as the bushes began rustling and footsteps heading toward them.
"Shit!" Val cursed. "Someone's coming!"
"Grab onto me, all of you," Erma held out her hand.
"What?" Sally questioned.
"Just shut up and do it!"
Sally did as she was told, as did the rest. Erma took a breath and closed her eyes, just as a pair of Einherjar stepped out of the bushes.
"Freeze!" one of them shouted.
The Freedom Fighters flinched, expecting to be shot on sight. Instead, they watched as the Einherjar just stood there, as if they didn't realize they were there.
"Why are they just standing there?" Shard whispered.
"I don't know," Amy whispered back.
"Mute it!" Erma snapped.
"I coulda sworn I heard someone," the Einherjar said.
"Probably just an Artik foxxy something," his partner replied.
The first Einherjar walked closer so that he was mere inches away from Erma. Sally and the others watched anxiously as he looked around, scoping the area. Finally, after a few minutes, he turned around.
"Alright, everything looks clear, let's…"
Suddenly, Erma kicked the guy in the head, knocking him out.
"What the...!?" the second one managed before Erma charged forward, knocking him out as well.
"You idiot!" Valerie exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was?! You just gave away our position!"
"Calm down, it was just those two."
Erma then perked as she heard the first guy's comm go off.
"Helheim to Squad 3, come in. Squad 3, do you copy?"
Val grabbed the comm, clearing her throat before mimicking the Einherjar. "This is Squad 3. False alarm. Artik Foxxy."
Everyone watched nervously, hoping they bought it.
"Copy that. As you were."
"10-4."
The comm went silent as Val sighed in relief. Then, she grabs Erma by the throat and slams her against a tree
"Next time I give you an order, you do what I fugging say unless you want all of us to die. Do I make myself clear?"
Erma narrowed her eyes.
"I don't answer to you, witch-coon," she choked out before grimacing. "But yeah, that was dumb."
Val tightened her grip. Everyone stiffened as her gaze turned manic, cold, and merciless.
"You do answer to me."
"Valerie, stop!"
Val blinked, then quickly dropped Erma.
"Fugg, not again... Sorry." She shook her head. "Come on, we need to get going."
Erma rubbed her throat as she glared at Val. "Crazy demon raccoon..."
Sally looked at Erma worriedly as they resumed their trek.
After a while...
"Well, here we are."
The group arrived at what looked like an old-fashioned Viking hold, complete with massive walls made of sharpened logs. Banners hung from the walls, displaying the Einherjar symbol proudly.
"Welcome to Helheim," Val remarked,
"That's Helheim?" Amy questioned.
"Kind of backwards for an Egg Base," Shard remarked, giving the place a once-over.
"Eggatha's files mentioned that a good portion of the Einherjar is strongly anti-technology," Nicole reminded them. "And as I recall, Glacia was among the most ardent."
"Trust me, she doesn't need tech. That woman is..." Val shuddered visibly, left at a loss for words.
"A bloodthirsty, bone-sucking barbarian?" Sticks offered.
"...Yes, that's a good way to put it."
"Yeah, I could tell just from looking at that."
Sticks cringed as she pointed to several large poles set up in front of the base. Everyone looked up, gaping in shock and horror to see they were adorned with the frozen bodies of what were clearly Einherjar victims.
"Oh Aurora...!" Sally covered her mouth.
"I think I'm going to be sick..." Amy managed.
"That is so wrong..." Erma gasped.
"I think I'm going to vomit…" Shard cringed. "Can robots vomit?"
"The worst part? Those guys are the lucky ones," Val motioned for them to follow. "Come on, I know a secret entrance."
As they left, Shard stopped to take one last look and used his telescopic eyes. As soon as he did, he cringed, turning to the bushes and vomiting out a mess of old, rusty nuts, bolts, and oil.
"Um, is anyone else weirded out by how... not weirded out Val is?" Sticks questioned.
"Seriously, she barely reacted to...that," Amy added.
"Given how long she's been here, she's likely been desensitized to it," Nicole deduced.
"No." Sally shook her head. "This feels different, especially with how she reacted to Erma."
"Speaking of… What the heck was that voodoo you used to make the Egg Soldiers not see us?" Sticks asked.
"Ermine Mo-Bility," Erma replied, before disappearing into thin air. "Ermines can turn invisible as long as they're in a cold environment."
"So you're a poor man's Espio."
"Sticks!" Nicole shouted.
"What? He can do it whenever he wants."
"Will you morons shut up!?" Erma snapped. "Seriously, you're worse than Flip."
"Ahem!" They turn to see Val called out, turning to her and seeing she was standing next to a large rock. "We're here."
"Uhhh...Valerie, that's a rock," Amy pointed out.
"Yes." Val tapped the rock, which vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving a little, green leaf floating in the air. "Now it's a leaf."
Val looked down at where the rock was, revealing a hole in the ground. "Oh look, a secret passageway."
Val leaped down the hole before sticking her hand out, motioning for them to follow.
"This way!"
The group followed her down, finding themselves in total darkness.
"Shard, Nicole, give us a light," Sally requested.
"Right away, Sally."
"On it!"
Nicole and Shard activated their light functions, allowing them to see Val as she took a leaf and threw it into the air. This caused the rock to reappear and block the passage.
"There."
"What was that?" Shard asked.
"Tanuki magic. Our own qi arts, if you will."
"Of course." Erma looked at the darkness ahead of them. "So, where does this tunnel lead?"
"To the barracks," Val replied. "Training should be almost over for the day, so your friends should be there soon."
Val led the group down the long tunnel, eventually leading them to a stone wall.
"Here we are." Val pushed against the wall, causing it to move slightly. Once it'd been opened a crack, Val peeked inside.
"All clear."
Everyone slipped in and found themselves in a shoddy-looking stone building. Piles of straw littered the area, presumably for bedding, as well as what appeared to be a firepit for heat and lighting.
"This is the barracks?" Sally asked, clearly expecting more.
"The recruits' barracks," Val specified.
Val stiffened as the sound of footsteps greeted her ears.
"Crap! Get back!" she whispered, motioning for them to get behind the secret door.
The group hurried back into the secret tunnel, leaving the hidden door open just enough that they could see and hear what was going on.
The main door slammed open, revealing the imposing figure of Glacia.
"Glacia…" Erma snarled. She made for the door, only for Sally to stop her.
"Erma, no!" Sally whispered.
"She's right there! We can jump her–!"
"And she'll kill us the moment we open the door! Besides, we still don't know where she's keeping the others."
Erma growled, but she calmed down.
"Alright…fine…"
"Alright maggots, move your asses!"
The group watched as several Mobians entered the building, each and every one of them looking absolutely miserable. Their fur was ratty and caked with dirt, and they reeked of sweat, blood, and iron. They were clad in little more than thin, brown rags, filled with holes, and stained with dirt, blood, and other bodily fluids.
They moaned like zombies as they shambled toward the straw mats. Some sat or laid down, while others fell over in a heap as soon as they reached one; some on top of each other.
All in all, they looked absolutely miserable.
"Whoa…" Sticks whispered. "And I thought we had it rough when we were locked up."
A groan drew the group towards the entrance to see one last straggler make their way inside…this one they recognized.
"Ohhhh Aurora…" Tangle groaned as she stumbled inside. "I can't feel my…everything."
"Move it, ringtail!" Glacia ordered as she practically shoved Tangle inside, introducing her face to the dirt floor. She made to get up, only for Glacia to put her foot down on her back, forcing her back down.
"Worthless sacks of meat, that was pathetic!" Glacia snapped at the recruits. "Not a single one of you is Einherjar material!"
She gave a savage, bloodthirsty grin. "Maybe I should just spare us all the trouble and kill you now. Some of the 'scarecrows' are getting a little…ripe."
Glacia chuckled evilly as she looked over her captives. Most of them quivered in fear, others glared at her viciously. Disturbingly, a noticeable chunk of them just sat there, closing their eyes in resignation.
"But then again, we have a Purge tomorrow, so who knows." Glacia shrugged. "Maybe some of you will surprise me. But for now, you're worthless! So this is all the kindling you're getting!"
She dropped a small bundle of sticks on the floor (and on top of Tangle).
"Hardfoot and Red will be here with your rations shortly, don't expect much of that either. Now get some rest, you're gonna need it."
With that, Glacia headed for the door and slammed it shut. Once she was gone, a few of the prisoners got up and gathered the sticks to prepare a fire.
"Man," Tangle groaned. "And I used to think polar bears were cute too…"
"Psssst! Tangle!" Sally whispered.
The lemur perked, along with several other captives.
"Wh-Who's there?"
They watched as the door slowly opened, revealing Sally.
"Sally?!" Tangle shouted.
"Shhh! Keep your voice down!"
"Sorry…"
Tangle stared in shock as her friends filed into the hovel that had been her home for the past week. She took a moment to pinch her cheek and once she was sure she wasn't dreaming, she smiled.
"You're here…holy Aurora, you're really here!"
Then, she noticed someone else.
"Valerie!"
"Hello Tangle…" The disguised tanuki looked over the lemur. "Woof, you look awful…"
"Yeah…" the lemur forced herself up. "Glacia had us sparring today and one of the jerkwads in Barracks C beat me up and stole my breakfast."
She smiled weakly. "How are you?"
Valerie winced. "I'm…alright."
Tangle gave Valerie a sympathetic look. "You had another episode, didn't you?"
She nodded once.
"Damn…sorry to hear that."
"Tangle, are you alright?" Amy asked. "I-I mean…"
"I get it, Ames. Let's just say I've been better."
She finally reached an unoccupied straw mat, upon which she flopped onto it.
"You'll be much better when we get everyone out of here," Sally declared, eying the other captives. "We've come to take everyone home."
The other captives looked at her for a moment, then returned to what they were doing without even a second glance.
"That's...not the reaction I was expecting."
"Hey, morons!" Sticks shouted. "What the hell are you doing just sitting around!? The heroes have arrived! You're saved!"
"Don't waste your breath, Sticks," Erma said. "These people have had the hope literally beaten out of them. They're lucky to still be functioning."
"Dammit, just what did Glacia do to them?" Shard asked.
"It'd be easier to say what she didn't do," Tangle began. "She and her goons get us up at three in the morning for 'warm-ups': one thousand pushups, one thousand sit-ups, one thousand squats. After that, it's a ten-kilometer run around the island, with weights tied to our limbs. After that, she has us 'hit the showers' by dunking us in ice water. Then, we pair up and spar to see who gets to have lunch. Losers get smaller portions, and if she catches you sharing, you get tied to a stake and beaten with a stick for an hour.
"Hell, sometimes she ties us up and beats us anyway!"
The lemur sighed. "After that, it's chore duty. Cleaning up the base, hunting for food, gathering firewood. Though sometimes, she gives us another round of training. And then, there's the Purge…"
Everyone raised an eyebrow at that.
"The Purge?" Sally asked.
"Soups on, meat!" a voice shouted.
"Everyone back away from the door!" ordered another.
"FOOD!"
"Tangle, no!" Valerie shouted as she grabbed her arm.
"But food…!"
"Not before a Purge day," Val whispered. "You know better."
Tangle tensed up, then sagged in defeat. "Right…"
The door started to open.
"Crap! You guys gotta hide!"
"Erma, do that inviso-thing!" Sticks shouted.
"I can't, it's not cold enough!"
"I got it!" Valerie slapped a leaf over them, causing them all to vanish.
The door opened up and a pair of Einherjar entered.
One carted in a wheelbarrow full of meat so rare it was practically bloody, while the other was holding a long chain. However, the horrible thing about them both was that they were someone the Freedom Fighters recognized.
"Johnny? Shorty?" Amy whispered in horror. "What are they–?"
"The training..." Nicole realized. "We're too late, Glacia broke them. They're Einherjar now."
"No…"Sally whispered.
The Freedom Fighters looked over the Egg Soldiers that had once been their friends. Johnny had a noticeable nick in his right ear and a scar over his right eye. Instead of the black, Egg Soldier jumpsuit, he only wore a pair of black pants and a blue, fur-trimmed vest, revealing his arms and torso, which now showed significant muscle tonnage and runic tattoos. The tuft of hair on his head had grown out considerably and had been styled into a long, Nordic braid that went past his shoulders; while the fur on the sides of his head had been trimmed down, giving him a distinctly barbaric look.
Shorty had been given a similar makeover. Unlike Johnny, his uniform was more standard, but his face bore several scars and piercings; most notably a trio of golden studs in his left ear and white markings that resembled creeping tree branches over his cheekbones.
All in all, the two looked like modern-day Vikings. Strong, tough, and vicious.
"Alright maggots, chow time!" Johnny Lightfoot greeted with a nasty grin.
"You know the drill!" barked Shorty the Squirrel.
At that, the captives (save Tangle) all perked and tensed as Shorty grabbed a hunk of meat from his wheelbarrow and threw it into the room. As soon as it hit the ground, the captives (sans Tangle) swarmed all over it. They bit into the bloody flesh like rabid animals, tearing hunks of it away with claws and teeth and chewing loudly and rapturously.
Tangle licked her lips, desperately wishing she could join in the feast; forcing Val to tighten the grip on her tail.
"Look at 'em, Red," Johnny said. "Like a pack of rabid Devil Dogs."
"You think maybe they'll claw each others' throats out, Hardfoot?" Shorty asked his partner.
"Hey! Get your hands off my meat!" one of the captives shouted as he tried to wrestle another.
"Beat it, runt!" the captive shouted as he shoved his attacker off. "I'm twice your size, so I need twice as much!"
The smaller captive growled angrily, then tackled the larger Mobian, biting into his shoulder. The bigger Mobian roared in pain but quickly regained his composure and threw his attacker off him with ease before grabbing him and smashing his head onto the floor repeatedly. The small Mobian tried to escape, but it was no use. After about three smashes, the smaller Mobian stopped moving and fell to the ground lifelessly.
"That'll teach ya." With that, the larger Mobian returned to his meal, shoving another aside.
"My word…" Sally whispered in horror, the others looking just as ill at ease.
"Ha! Nice!" Shorty cheered as he pulled off a piece of meat and took a bite.
"Hey, make sure you save that," Johnny warned. "We don't want them all starving to death."
"Ahh, so what?" Shorty scoffed. "Half of 'em are gonna be dead tomorrow anyway. Besides, we got plenty of meat."
Shorty motioned toward Johnny's chain, eliciting a grin from the rabbit.
"Yeah…Move it, traitor!"
Johnny yanked the chain, dragging a new prisoner forward: a Mobian reindeer with an iron collar around his neck.
"Berg…" Tangle whispered in horror.
"Hey, maggots!" Johnny called out. "Got something else for you!"
Johnny then threw the reindeer to the floor, causing him to groan in pain.
"Welcome back, Berg," Shorty taunted. "The place is just like you left it."
Val tensed hard.
"C'mon, let's go feed the rest of 'em," Johnny declared as he and Shorty left. The second they were gone, everyone converged on the coughing Berg.
"Oh my gosh..." Sally gasped.
"The fugg!?" Erma exclaimed.
"Berg you fool…" Val cursed. "You got too cocky…"
"Hold up, you know him?" Sticks asked
"Venison..." The group turned to see a few captives moving toward Berg, a disturbed look in their eyes.
"Venison..."
"Fresh meat!"
"Ohno you don't!"
Tangle quickly lashed out with her tail, hitting them in the back of the neck and knocking them out cold.
"What the...!?" Berg exclaimed.
Valerie disabled the veil. "Berg!"
"Are you alright!?" Tangle cried.
'Valerie...Tangle...?"
The others headed over to Berg, helping him up.
"Easy," Shard soothed. "We got you."
They helped the reindeer over to one of the straw mats. Berg was in horrific shape. The reindeer had been stripped of his uniform, leaving him clad in nothing but a pair of black briefs, allowing them to see the extent of his injuries. He was covered from head to toe in bruises, most of them very large and round. His baby blue fur was matted with blood in places, his cybernetic antlers had been broken off, and he had a black eye. He groaned in pain.
"Easy there," Sally soothed.
"You got caught?" Val asked.
"I'm sorry..." Berg looked away. "I slipped up."
"Hang on, Sal," Sticks cut in. "Wasn't this the same guy who tried to nab you and Sonic?"
"I... think so."
"He's on our side," Val explained.
"Berg's been secretly helping us out," Tangle added. "Without him, some of us would probably be dead. Aurora knows I would."
"He's the reason I'm sane," Val chimed in.
"Well, I'll be," Erma crossed her arms. "One of you damned blue coats actually has a heart."
"Berg, what happened?" Tangle asked.
"Like I said...I slipped up. Tundra...noticed things were going missing. Didn't take him long to put two and two together..."
"I told you not to be reckless," Val rubbed her forehead. "I told you to stop being greedy."
"I can't...let others suffer...as I have. I won't..." Berg cringed, gripping his chest.
"Idiot…" Valerie sighed.
"Uh, guys?" Shard's nervous voice cut in.
They turned to see him pointing at the other captives, many of them panting heavily and foaming at the mouth as if rabid.
"Oh shit!" Tangle cried.
"Oh no, it's already starting!" Val yelled.
The other captives let out bestial roars and immediately began fighting one another. They clawed, bit, and pounced on each other like rabid Mobini, all traces of fatigue and despair gone.
"What in the world!?" Sally exclaimed.
A captive lunged at Sally and the others, roaring in a bestial manner. Fortunately, Nicole materialized and attacked, the berserk captive biting down on the shaft of Nicole's spear.
"That's enough!" Nicole released the spear, causing him to drop to the ground. " !"
Pixel chains appeared around the captives, restraining them.
"There, that should hold them." Nicole turned to the others. "Is everyone okay?"
"What the flying…" Amy threw up her hands. "What was THAT?!
"The Purge," Valerie explained. "Remember those mushrooms your badger friend tried to eat? They use them to drug the food."
"Holy…" Sticks looked at the rabid prisoners. "I almost...!?"
Valerie nodded. "The mushrooms mess with your head, making anyone who eats them more aggressive and violent," Her hand trembled as she went on. "Just one is enough, and the effects... linger…"
"I'm starting to see why Sonic hates mushrooms so much," Sticks mused.
"So the Einherjar are all so evil and crazy because their food is spiked with psycho-serum mushrooms?" Amy asked.
"It's an old Viking battle trick," Tangle remarked. "They use mushrooms and other drugs to enter a combat trance. You know the stories about berserkers? That's how they do it."
"And every few days, Glacia and her goons whip all the recruits into a mushroom frenzy and watch them tear each other's throats out." Val added.
"Why would she do that!?" Amy demanded.
"It's a 'Purge', Amy," Sally began, her eyes alight with fear and disgust. "The Einherjar believe that might makes right. That strength is the only thing that matters. This is how they cull the weaklings from their ranks."
"Dammit!" Erma ran for the door.
"Erma, stop!" Sally cried. "Wait!"
Erma was about to throw the door open when Sally grabbed her, spinning her around
"Will you just hold on and listen to me for ONE MINUTE?!"
"Dammit, Sally, let me go!" Erma snappd.
"Not until you calm down! We're here to save our friends and the prisoners! And the second you run off half-cocked, it's over!"
"Then get the prisoners out of here! I'm going after Glacia and caving her skull in!"
"Are you out of your mind?!" Val let out. "If you face Glacia, she'll destroy you!"
"That's a chance I'm willing to take!" Erma's fists clenched. "After what she did..."
Sally shook her head. "I'm not losing anyone on this mission. Including you."
Erma glared at her. "I can take care of myself. Now let go of me. Now."
When Sally stood firm, Erma headbutted her, knocking her to the ground before running for the door.
"GLACIAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Dammit!" Valerie cursed.
"She's alerted the whole base!" Shard cried.
"Dammit Erma, what the hell are you thinking!?" Sally demanded.
"Revenge..." They turned to Berg. "She wants...revenge..."
-X-
Meanwhile, Johnny and Shorty met up with Glacia in the center of the base.
"Has tonight's meal been distributed to everyone?" Glacia asked.
Johnny nodded. "To the last hovel. By dawn's light tomorrow, half the maggots will be dead."
Glacia smirked. "Good."
"GLACIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Glacia perked, turning in time to see Erma come flying in, drop-kicking her in the face with both feet. Erma leaped off of the Einherjar, knocking her to the ground as she leaped off of her. Glacia looked up, her eyes practically glowing red.
"Who dares!?"
"I dare."
Glacia looked up to see Erma glaring at her furiously. "Well... certainly bolder than I'm used to."
"I've been waiting for this, Glacia," Erma growled. "Now you're gonna pay for what you took from me!"
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Glacia asked in a bored tone.
"Ernest Ermine."
Glacia perked. "Who?"
"One year ago, he led a group to gather firewood for the refugees after Iceborough fell. They were supposed to be gone for three days, but they never returned. Several months later, Ernest was found washed up on the beach. He was so thin, he was practically bones. His arm and three ribs were broken, his left lung collapsed, his ears, nose, and half his fingers and toes had frozen off…" her eyes narrowed. "And dull, lifeless eyes."
Hardfoot and Red winced (in sympathy or fear, Erma neither knew, nor cared), but Glacia on the other hand, was unmoved.
"And this concerns me how?"
"Ernest Ermine was my father! He was a victim of your Einherjar 'training'!" Tears streamed down Erma's cheeks as she clenched her fists. "You locked him up on this damned hellhole of an island! Worked him like a dog! Beat and tortured and mutilated him until his body broke! His mind broke! He can't walk or talk or eat or anything! He just sits there staring at the wall! He doesn't even know where he is! He doesn't recognize his own family!"
"Hmmm...now that you mention it..." Glacia perked up, snapping her fingers.
"Now I remember! He was one of my first recruits! Heh, one of my first failures. Poor bastard didn't even last a month. Honestly, I'm surprised you kept him around. If that happened to my father, I'd have made him into a pelt and fed what's left to the orcas."
Erma growled in rage.
"I swear, if it takes me a hundred years, I'm gonna make you pay, Glacia!" she swore. "I'm gonna destroy you slowly... and when you start begging me to end it— I'm gonna remind you of one thing. You destroyed my dad! And for that, you're gonna DIE!"
With that, she charged at Glacia. The polar bear smirked
"Red, Hardfoot, stand back. This brat's mine."
Johnny and Shorty stepped aside as Glacia stepped forward.
Erma unleashed a series of kicks, but Glacia casually blocked all of them.
"Cute. You got spunk. I like that," Glacia swung at Erma, knocking her back. "But it's gonna take more than that to hurt me!"
Erma rolled before managing to get up. She screamed and sobbed before charging at Glacia again. The Einherjar commander prepared to swing, but Erma turned invisible.
"What the...!?" Suddenly, an invisible force kicked her square in the face. Erma appeared, rapidly bicycle-kicking Glacia's face.
"Gods-damned, Aesir-forsaken, ice-sucking, polar bitch!" the ermine ranted. "I hope you got everything you wanted out of your worthless life! Because it. Ends. NOW!"
Glacia finally reached out, catching Emra's foot and quickly tossing her into the wall.
"Congratulations, you actually managed to piss me off."
Glacia walked over to Erma, who tried in vain to get up.
"I'm gonna...do more than that...you..."
Glacia picked Erma up. "Tell you what, pissed as I am, I'm impressed. Not everyone's managed to wound me. So, I'll make you a deal. Join us. Put that strength to use for the Einherjar, and I'll let you live."
Erma mumbled in response. Glacia pulled Erma closer.
"Eh, speak up, I can't hear-!"
Erma lunged forward, sinking her teeth deep into Glacia's nose with all her strength. Glacia roared in pain and rage, Erma grunting in satisfaction as she felt flesh rip between her teeth. Growing in rage, Glacia violently slammed Erma onto the ground.
"Ungrateful snot!" Glacia drew her hammer. "If that's how you wanna be, fine!"
Glacia raised her hammer, preparing to crush Erma flat as the ermine closed her eyes in resignation. But before Glacia could swing, she was hit in the face with a blast; causing her to drop her hammer and fall to her knees.
"Got her!" Shard yelled as the others came running in.
"How about you tap out, Erma," Amy hefted her hammer, glaring at Glacia. "I got this."
"The Freedom Fighters!?" Shorty cried.
"Shoulda known," Johnny deadpanned.
"Get to Glacia, Amy," Sally ordered. "We got these guys. Shard, get Erma back to the barracks."
"Right!" Shard said before flying off.
"So...you came." Glacia stood up. "I don't know whether you're brave or stupid."
"Why don't you come over here and find out for yourself," Amy boasted, spinning her hammer in preparation.
"Challenging me to a duel, Pinky?"
"If you think you're tough enough to face me."
Glacia scoffed. "Please, I'm Glacia the Polar Bear of the Frozen Four! I'm the third toughest fighter in the Einherjar, below only Master Tundra and Boreas."
"All I hear is talk," Amy remarked, gripping her hammer in both hands. "Let's see you back it up."
"Alright..." Glacia turned to Johnny and Shorty. "Hardfoot, Red, take care of the others. This little, pink twerp is mine."
"Yes, Master Glacia!" Johnny and Shorty declared as Glacia grabbed her hammer.
"Prepare to be flattened, Southerner!"
Amy and Glacia swung their hammers, releasing a shockwave as they collided.
-X-
Meanwhile…
Sally found herself fighting Johnny, parrying his sword swings.
"Snap out of it, Johnny! I don't want to hurt you!" Sally ducked another swing. "It's me, Sally! Your friend! I know you're in there somewhere! Don't let Glacia do this! You're Johnny Lightfoot! A Freedom Fighter!"
"Silence, worm!" Johnny snapped, "I am Hardfoot Hare of the Einherjar!"
"No, you're not!"
Johnny just kept fighting with his two blades. "What's the matter? Is that the best you can do?"
Sally blocked one blade before spinning it so it would fly out of his hand. She leaped back to avoid the other.
"Damn it!" she cursed. "I should have managed to break through by now! Some hesitation, something!"
"It's the mushrooms," Nicole realized. "They've distorted his mind, suppressed his consciousness."
"Then how do I bring the real Johnny back?"
"Since words aren't working, I suggest cognitive recalibration."
"Meaning?"
"Bash him in the head. As hard as you can."
Sally threw up her hands in exasperation. "Then just say that!"
"You'll find that difficult, Princess," Johnny boasted.
Sally charged at him, but this time, it was not his sword that blocked her, but his ear."
"What the!?"
Johnny grinned evilly as his ear extended like rubber, wrapping around her arm.
"What is this?!" Sally demanded.
"Mobian rabbits have their charm and persuasion Mo-Bility," Johnny explained. "We hares have fully prehensile ears."
"But how...you don't have a Mo-Bility!"
Johnny shifted his head, throwing Sally.
"I trained relentlessly. Now..." Johnny grabbed his blade, then three more he had on his person, one in each hand and ear. "I'm gonna use my ears to turn you into squirrel stew!"
Johnny charged at Sally.
-X-
Elsewhere…
Sticks was facing off against Shorty, dodging a swing from a morningstar.
"Shorty, buddy, cool it!" Sticks yelled. "I don't wanna hurt you!"
Shorty kicked her aside. "Good to know."
Sticks immediately sprang to her feet, getting in his face.
"I said I didn't want to," Her knee came up, ramming full force into Shorty's groin. The squirrel's eyes widened, dropping the morningstar with a choked, pained wheeze. "Didn't say I wouldn't."
Sticks prepared to whack Shorty on the head with the blunt end of her spear, but the squirrel blocked it with the shaft of his mace.
"What the...!?" Sticks exclaimed.
"I've been working out," Shorty boasted.
"I practically kicked your pingas off! The groin's the weakest spot! How the hell are you getting up?! "
"Easy. I've been getting kicked in the dick almost every day for the past week, by people who hit WAY harder than you."
Sticks winced in sympathy "Ooooooh..."
"Speaking of groins… how weak is yours!?"
"What are you-"
Shorty swung his mace, hitting Sticks in the groin. Fortunately, the spikes weren't that sharp, but the blunt impact had Sticks seeing stars. She slumped over, eye twitching and face red as tears swam to her eyes.
"Pain…" She wheezed.
"Well, that answers that." Shorty raised the mace once more, Sticks narrowly rolling out of the way.
"So…this is it, huh?" Sticks demanded between ragged breaths. "You fought like hell against the Eggman… when he trapped you in that Cybernik shell… and now all it takes is a mushroom samba… to turn you into his lackey?!"
Shorty just grinned as he raised the mace. Sticks flinched, closing her eyes as she waited for the inevitable.
"Die, worthless magg...!" Shorty stopped mid-swing with a grunt. "What...?"
Sticks slowly cracked an eye open.
"The hell...!? Why...isn't...my arm moving?"
Seeing her chance, Sticks forced herself to get up and pick up her spear.
"Dammit...No! I am Red! I am Einherjar! I'm...!"
A trilling battle cry reached his ears as Sticks swung with all her might, the handle of her spear colliding with the back of Shorty's head with such force that the end snapped off. Shorty collapsed face-first into the snow, out cold before he hit the ground.
"Sleep it off," Sticks remarked, only to fall to her knees, clutching her feminine parts. "Dammit…I ain't havin' kids…"
-X-
Meanwhile, Sally was fighting off Johnny, having great difficulty due to his four blades and being forced on the defensive. Eventually, she was backed into a corner with Johnny staring her down.
"C'mon, Princess!" Johnny taunted. "At least try to make this entertaining for me!"
"I'm not boarding this train, Johnny!" Sally shot back. "You're not the engineer driving it right now!"
"Then have fun being diced into chunks!"
"Dammit…" Sally cursed. "Nicole, I could use a hand here!"
"I'm sorry, Princess," came Nicole's voice. "But I have my hands tied!"
"What are you...!?"
"Just try and hold out! Trust me!"
Sally looked Johnny in the eyes, refusing to show any sign of fear.
"Any last requests?" Johnny asked as he prepared to run her through.
"Yeah…" Sally replied. "Don't look behind you."
"What are you-?"
That was when something hit him in the back of the head, knocking him face-first to the ground. Sally sighed in relief as Tangle reeled in her tail.
"Gotcha," Tangle panted.
"Perfect timing, Tangle," Sally told her. "Thanks."
"No...problem..."
Tangle swayed a little. Sally ran over, catching her and helping her steady herself
"Easy. Save your strength. We're getting outta here."
A loud crash echoed through the base, startling everyone.
"Holy...!" Tangle shouted. "What was…?"
"Look!" Sally pointed upward in time to see a pink streak through the sky crash into one of the training dummies.
"Ooooh…man…" Amy groaned as she rubbed her head. "I'm gonna be feeling that tomorrow."
A dark chuckle greeted Amy's ears, prompting her to look up and see Glacia slowly advancing toward her; her own hammer resting on her shoulders.
"What's the matter, Pink?" she asked with a grin. "Had enough?"
"Are you kidding?" Amy slowly stood up. "I'm just getting started."
She ran at Glacia, then leaped into the air, swinging her hammer down on the Einherjar. Unfortunately, Glacia sidestepped the swing and then kicked her away before she could even land.
Amy skidded across the ground, bracing herself before staring down Glacia again. The polar bear rushed over and swung her hammer. Amy rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding being flattened into a pink pancake. Then, in one swift motion, hopped back on her feet and made another leaping swing right on Glacia's face. Unfortunately, the Egg Sub-Boss wasn't even fazed.
"Was that supposed to hurt?" Glacia asked mockingly.
She swung upward, catching Amy in the chin and knocking her into a spiral. Amy once again slid back before getting back up.
"By Odin's beard, you're persistent. How many times do I have to smash your face in before you quit?"
"I'm a Freedom Fighter!" Amy declared. "A loyal soldier of Acorn and Mercia! We don't quit, we don't surrender, and most importantly, we! Don't! LOSE!"
"Really? Cuz it looks to me like you haven't so much as bruised me." Glacia's expression narrowed into a cold scowl. "Just give up already, Pinky. I'm too much for you to handle."
"I don't care how strong you are, Glacia! I'm fighting for my friends! You keep beating me down, I'll keep getting back up, keep fighting, until I find a way to beat you! To WIN!"
Glacia scowled. "The only thing you're finding...is what it feels like to have your brains bashed in!"
Glacia's body began giving off an icy blue glow as the area around her began to grow colder.
"Oh man!" Tangle shouted. "She's gone into Ice Mode!"
"Now...die!" Glacia swung her hammer down, causing waves of sharp ice shards to erupt from the ground and surge toward Amy.
"Enjoy being skewered, Pinky! That's how I'm going to prop up your carcass out front!"
Amy watched as the shards grew closer, but rather than be scared, she swung her hammer down and vaulted over the shards.
"What!?"
Amy flipped over the shards and right toward Glacia. Once she was at the peak of her jump, she swung her hammer with every ounce of strength she could muster.
Thinking quickly, Glacia grabbed the head of the hammer before it could connect; stopping the attack, but pushing her back a few inches.
"Dammit..." the polar bear grit out. "What is it going to take to kill you!?"
"More than you've got," Amy retorted.
Glacia gritted her teeth and then grinned.
"The hammer."
She grabbed the head of Amy's hammer, causing it to freeze over; to the hedgehog's shock.
"What are you-?!"
"That hammer's the source of your power, so without it…" she raised her other fist. "You're NOTHING!"
Time seemed to slow down as Glacia's fist flew through the air into Amy's hammer. As soon as it connected, the metal began to warp and implode as a spider web of cracks spread over it. Amy could only watch in horror as the cracks quickly covered the entirety of the hammerhead, after which it shattered into pieces, leaving her with nothing but a half-broken shaft as she fell to the ground.
"No… No, that's impossible! The Piko Piko Hammer is indestructible!
Glacia snorted. "Piko Piko!? Was that seriously the name of your weapon!?"
Amy stared at the shattered remains of her weapon, barely acknowledging Glacia's mocking laughter. The weapon her cousin Rob had given her before she left Mercia. The weapon that had been in his family for generations. That she had promised to wield with honor and now laid at her feet, broken like a cheap vase.
"Well, it doesn't matter now," Glacia said, her laughter finally stopped. "Without that glorified toy, Pinky, you're nothing. You're SHIT. And I've humored you long enough."
Glacia stamped her foot, causing ice to surge toward Amy; freezing her hands and feet to the ground.
"No!" Amy struggled to get free, but it was no use.
"Don't worry," Glacia said as she raised her hammer. "I'll just take a little off the top. You'll make a lovely scarecrow!"
Once again, the world seemed to grind to a halt. Amy watched as Glacia's hammer loomed over her; the polar bear grinning with sadistic pleasure. Out of the corners of her eye, she could make out Sally, Tangle, and Sticks calling out to her. Not that she could hear them, her mind was overwhelmed by what had just happened.
She had failed… and now, she was going to be killed.
Just like they said I would be… Maybe they were right… I wasn't ready for this…
With that, her thoughts turned to that of her family…
Rob… Sonia… I'm sorry, I let you down…
To her friends…
Cream… Cosmo… Everyone… promise you'll keep on fighting, no matter what.
And finally, to the one most precious to her heart…
Sonic… please, save everyone. Tell them how much I loved being a Freedom Fighter. How much I love them all. How much I loved…
Finally, Glacia swung her hammer down. Amy watched as the maul came down on her, but right as it was about to connect to her skull, the world was enveloped in pink light.
"What!?" Glacia shouted.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed through the base, snapping Amy back to reality. She looked around and saw Glacia lying flat on her back several feet away from her.
"What in the world…?"
Before Amy could wonder what happened, a soft, pink glow moved into her field of vision. Backing away, she found a magic circle glowing in front of her. The circle bore what appeared to be some kind of writing along the edges; the characters were ornate and curved. In the center of the circle were four hearts arranged in a cross; their points pointing toward the center, giving them the appearance of a four-leaf clover.
"What...is this?"
As she stared at the circle, she noticed something swirling inside in the pink energy. Shards. Little red and yellow shards.
"No...it can't be..."
Amy slowly reached out her hand, touching one of the shards. As soon as she did, they swarmed around her, cutting her icy binds before orbiting around her like Saturn's rings.
"Sally, what's going on?" Tangle asked.
"I...don't know," Sally admitted.
"What the hell is this!?" Glacia demanded, having finally gotten up. "Master Tundra's files never said anything about you being a witch!"
"I-I'm not…"
A soft humming noise caught Amy's ears. She looked down and saw that it was coming from the shaft of her hammer, which was now glowing pink like the shards. Without thinking, Amy slowly raised the shaft above her head, causing the shards to flock to it.
The shards merged with the shaft, causing it to grow longer and glow brighter. Once the last of the shards gathered, the mass exploded, releasing a blinding flash and a loud boom.
"Amy!" Sally cried.
Sally and the others watched in horror as Amy was seemingly consumed by the light. But as the light died down, they could make out a lone figure standing in the night.
"What the…" Sally whispered.
"No way…" Sticks gaped.
"Holy…" Tangle uttered dumbly.
The smoke finally cleared, revealing Amy holding a new, more ornate hammer. It was easily larger than the Piko Piko, shimmering silver and gold with a head that made it look like a real war hammer, the symbol from the magic circle emblazoned proudly on the side.
"Impossible… Glacia mustered in disbelief. "Where in Niflheim did you get that!?"
"Honestly...I have no idea," Amy admitted, giving her hammer a spin. "But I'm not complaining!"
Glacia let out a roar as she grabbed her hammer and charged at her. As she drew closer, Amy took a spin and swung her hammer into Glacia's stomach; this time doing some damage and sending her flying into a wall.
"Ha! YES!" she cheered.
"You..." Glacia growled as she forced herself up, a blue aura enveloping her. "How dare you?!"
More waves of ice spikes erupted around her, all heading toward Amy.
"How?" Amy teased. "Oh, like this."
She charged forward, smashing her way through the spikes as she did; shattering them like glass. Eventually, she reached Glacia and struck her again, this time sending her through the wall. Glacia roared in frustration as she dug her feet and claws into the ground, slowing her down as Amy approached.
"What's the matter, ice witch?" Amy taunted. "Had enough?"
Glacia could only roar in rage as she charged at Amy, hammer drawn and prepared to smash her. Amy readying her own hammer, Amy swung, slamming right into Glacia's, leaving the two in a clash.
Amy pushed back against Glacia's maul, somehow managing to match the polar bear's strength, but neither fighter was getting anywhere.
"Die!" Glacia shouted. "Die! Die! Die! Die! DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!"
Suddenly, Glacia's hammer cracked.
"What!?"
"Something wrong?" Amy asked.
Glacia ignored both her and her hammer, continuing to apply force. But no matter how much she pushed, Amy's hammer refused to budge. Glacia snarled as she began to sweat; her hammer continued cracking as she kept on pushing.
"Dammit… why!?"
"Not so fun when you're not the one in control, is it?" Amy asked. "No one for you to bully or push around. To not be better than someone. Well, get used to it. 'Cause I'm gonna make sure you never lay a hand on anyone ever again!"
"You..." Glacia grit out. "I am Glacia the Polar Bear! One of the Frozen Four! I am Einherjar!"
"And I'm Amy Rose! Freedom Fighter! Lady of Mercia. And now..." Amy's hammer flashed pink. "I'm the one who kicked your ass!"
Glacia watched as Amy made one last push, finally breaking her hammer.
"No!" Glacia watched in horror as the shards of her hammer fell to the ground. She barely had time to register this as she saw Amy swinging her hammer again, striking her right in the jaw.
Once again, time seemed to slow. Amy watched as Glacia's face rippled and contorted in pain. Her neck twisted to the side as her lips puckered up, a stream of blood and a tooth spurting from her mouth. The polar bear's feet slowly rose off the ground as she glared at Amy out of the corner of her eye.
Glacia said nothing, but Amy could tell in her eyes that the Einherjar had just sworn to destroy her and her entire family for this humiliation. Amy just smirked, daring her to try.
Finally, time snapped back into motion again as Amy finished her swing, sending Glacia flying high into the air and off into the distance, screaming the entire way.
"And good riddance!"
Amy sighed, lowering her hammer and sagging in exhaustion.
"Whew!" she wiped the sweat off her brow. "That was crazy!"
"Amy!"
Amy looked over her shoulder to see Sally running toward her.
"Hey, Sally! Are you…?" Amy ran toward Sally, only to stumble after taking two steps. Fortunately, Sally reached her just in time to catch her.
"Easy, I got you," she said as she stabilized you.
"Thanks…"
"Amy, what just happened? Your hammer…" Sally gestured to Amy's hammer, only to gape in shock as it had reverted to its original form, completely intact and unblemished.
"What the…how in the…?"
"I'll ask Rob about it once we get outta here, Sal," Amy cut in. "Right now, this is one gift Pasha I'm not looking in the mouth."
"Johnny…hey, Johnny, can you hear me?"
Johnny groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Oh man… why does my head hurt?" he asked groggily.
"You tell me."
He looked over his shoulder to see Shorty beside him, looking just as discombobulated as him.
"Shorty? What happened? Where are we?"
The two suddenly gasped as a gust of wind blew over them.
"Geebus!" Johnny shouted. "Why is it so cold!?"
"It feels like freakin' Artika out here!" Shorty chimed in.
"That's cuz it is," said Sticks as she suddenly entered their field of vision, startling them.
"Gah! Sticks!?"
"Hey fellas, welcome back to sanity," the badger greeted with a wave.
"Sanity?" Johnny asked, before noticing his companion's makeover.
"Uhhh, Shorty, you got something on your face."
"My face? Dude, what's with your hair!?"
"Hair?" It was then that Johnny noticed his braid. "What the…"
He ran his hand along the long, knotted chain, his fingers following it up to his head.
"What the…why the fugg do I have a mullet!?"
"Guys!"
Suddenly, Tangle ran over and tackle-hugged the two of them.
"What the… Tangle!?"
"You're back!" the lemur sobbed as she squeezed them both tightly. "You're actually back!"
Johnny and Shorty just sat there, unsure what was going on. But the second they saw how disheveled and distraught Tangle was, they put those questions aside and hugged her back.
It was then that Sally and Amy returned.
"Shorty? Johnny?" Sally tentatively called out. "Is it really you?"
Johnny blinked. "Uhhhh…yeah?"
"Were we supposed to be someone else?" Shorty asked.
"Oh thank goodness!" Sally sighed with relief. "It actually worked!"
"What worked?"
"Amy, what's going on?" Johnny asked.
"You guys got…" Sticks began, only for Sally to clamp her hand over her mouth.
"It's…nothing, Johnny," Sally lied. "You just…"
"Sally!" Everyone turned to see Nicole materialize. "I am so sorry! I was trying to cordon off the battle to keep the rest of the Einherjar from attacking. Were you able to defeat Glacia?"
"Nicole!"
"Sent her blasting off like Team Missile from Bookeymon," Amy declared proudly.
"Amy!"
Johnny and Shorty perked. "Glacia? Einherjar?"
It was then that they noticed where they were.
"Wait, is this… an Egg Base!?" Shorty shouted, before looking down at his new clothes. "Hold up, what am I wearing!?"
"What am I wearing!?" Johnny demanded, before looking over his more muscular physique. "And when did I get jacked!?"
"You got captured by the Egg Army, sent to their boot camp, and got turned into Viking grunts."
"Sticks!" Sally facepalmed.
Johnny's eyes widened in horror. "Wait, what!?"
"We got…I got…brainwashed?!" Shorty demanded. "Th-That's crazy!"
Sally shook her head solemnly. "It's true…"
"...no way," Shorty whispered in disbelief. "Did…Did we…?"
"That's…a story best saved for another time," Sally cut in. "Right now, we need to get you and the other prisoners as far away from here as possible. Can you stand?"
"Yeah…" Johnny said as he and Shorty got to their feet.
"Valerie is outside with Erma and the rest of the captives," Nicole said. "Shard's doing another sweep of the place to make sure we got everyone."
"Good." Sally nodded. "Come on, let's go."
As the group headed outside, Johnny and Shorty hung at the back.
"Johnny," the squirrel whispered. "Why do I get the feeling we did something really messed up?"
Johnny paused for a moment, his ears unconsciously twitching. "Let's… wait until we're back at Knothole, Shorty."
-X-
A few minutes later, Sally and the others arrived at the forests outside of Helheim, where they found Valerie, Berg, and a large crowd of escapees waiting for them.
"There you are!" the disguised tanuki shouted as she ran over to them. "We saw what happened after one of the fortress walls burst. You actually did it! You beat Glacia!"
"Yeah," Sally nodded. "She won't be hurting anyone else anytime soon."
Berg sagged with relief, a weak, but genuine smile spreading over his face.
"Then, it's over…" he whispered reverently. "It's finally over! The Einherjar have been defeated!"
"Don't celebrate just yet, Berg." The caribou turned to Sally. "Glacia may be beaten, but we still have Tundra and the rest of his army to worry about."
The reindeer sagged, his cheer deflating slightly. "Yes… of course…"
"Aw, don't worry about it!" Sticks said. "Ol', Big, Purple, and Ugly just lost one of his biggest baddies and the others have probably taken the others out too!"
"Sticks…"
"Sally, these guys have literally gone through icy, Viking hell for a week… at least," Sticks cut in. "Let them have this."
Sally looked over the other escapees, remembering how broken and beaten they were when they first arrived. Now, they were slowly starting to brighten, with small smiles on their faces and glimmers of life in their eyes. It wasn't much, but it was better than before.
"Yes," Sally said with a smile. "You're right."
"Quick question," Valerie cut in. "What about… her?"
The tanuki pointed to a lone figure sitting on a log several feet away. Sally squinted and winced as she saw Erma's distinctive, pink pompadour mohawk.
"Right…" she said, rubbing her forehead. "Let me handle this."
She walked over to the log where Erma was sitting. The ermine was staring at the ground, her back turned to her.
"You gonna get angry and yell at me?" Erma suddenly spoke up. "Nicole and the witch-coon already did."
Sally sighed. "Berg told us what happened to your father..."
Erma looked away, saying nothing.
"Honestly… I wish he'd died," she said, shocking Sally. "Yeah, it would've hurt losing him. But at least he wouldn't be trapped in his own head… Death would have been preferable to… that."
"Erma…"
"Do you have any idea what it's like, Princess? Coming home every day and seeing someone you love… only it's not really them? Remembering all the times they played with you, took care of you, scolded you, hugged you, and told you everything was gonna be okay, and knowing they may never do any of that again? Talking to them, begging them to say or do… something! Anything! And they just…sit there, staring at nothing, even though you're standing right in front of them! And knowing the people who made them like that were still out there!?"
Erma turned to Sally, tears in her eyes.
"Do you have any idea what that's like!?"
Sally paused, unable to react.
"So that's why you're such a bitch to Rotor? To everyone else?" Erma and Sally turned to find Sticks and the others walking out from behind a tree, an unpleasant look in her eyes and a mocking tone in her voice. "'Oh, boo-hoo-hoo! My daddy's a vegetable because of mean, old Eggman!'"
Tangle gasped in shock and horror.
"Sticks!" Amy admonished.
"Oh, I don't care if it's mean, Amy!" Sticks snapped. "So what if she's suffered at the hands of Eggman and his goons?! So has everyone else! Kat's entire hometown was wiped off the map and her parents killed right the fugg in front of her, but you don't see her trying to get everyone else killed or being a nasty bitch to everyone who shares the same air as her!"
Erma snarled at Sticks, but then sagged in defeat, realizing she didn't have a leg to stand on. "...You're right."
"Damn right I am." Sticks calmed herself before approaching. "Listen, girly. You keep goin' down this road, you're gonna be bitter and alone. But if you pull your head outta your butt and stop acting like you're the only one who's hurting, maybe you'll finally be able to start healing. I may not have known your old man, but I think that's what he would want you to do."
Erma looked at Sticks for a moment, then turned away, looking at something only she could see in the distance, a look of contemplation on her face.
"I think you managed to get through to her," Sally mused.
"For now, let's get the hell outta here," Tangle suggested. "I don't wanna spend another nanosecond in this place."
"Sally!"
They looked up to see Shard and Nicole fly in.
"We just finished sweeping the area," Nicole reported.
"Were you able to find any other prisoners?" Sally asked.
"No, we got them all," Shard replied. "But that's not important. Something crazy just happened to all the Egg Soldiers!"
-X-
After leaving the others in charge of looking after the refugees and getting them home, Sally and Amy followed Nicole and Shard back to Helheim. The cyber-Mobians led them to one of the barracks and as soon as they looked inside, they were greeted by a horrific sight.
"What the…?"
Sally gaped in shock at the grisly scene before her. Dozens of Einherjar were lying about the room, their eyes wide and expressions vacant.
"What… happened?" Amy asked absently.
"We don't know," Shard replied. "They were like this when we found them."
"That explains why nobody else attacked us," Sally began.
She walked over to one of the fallen soldiers, gently nudging him with her boot.
"Are they…?" Amy began, dreading the answer.
"No, they're still alive," Nicole cut in. "They're just comatose."
"But they're not the only ones," Shard continued. "Every single Einherjar stationed here has been conked out too!"
Shard led them to another room, and sure enough, all of the Einherjar had been knocked out. The same applied to the next several rooms they checked. They even found several Einherjar lying around outside; having dropped while they were out on patrol.
"What the hell is going on?" Sally asked.
"Maybe beating Glacia fried their brains or something?" Shard offered, earning him a look from Nicole. "You know, like a failsafe!"
"Except, Eggatha said that Tundra never installed failsafes when he Cyberized his soldiers," Sally pointed out. "No, something did this… or someone."
"But who or what could've done this?" Amy asked.
Meanwhile...
Far away from Icy Isle, a chain of miniature icebergs drifted along the frozen sea. Not long ago, these icebergs were originally one large iceberg. That is…until something crashed into and shattered it into pieces.
As for what caused this shattering, well…
"Gah!"
Glacia the Polar Bear emerged from the water, gasping for breath.
"Land!" she shouted. "Gotta…find land!"
She frantically looked around, trying to find a piece of ice she could grab onto before the ocean current swept her underwater. Finally, she found one that was close enough and began paddling her way there.
After what felt like hours, she finally reached the miniature, frozen island, digging her claws into the ice and pulling herself onto its white shores.
"Finally!" she fell over on her stomach, panting heavily with exhaustion. "For a second… I thought I was a goner."
"I wouldn't celebrate just yet, Glacia."
"Eh?"
Glacia looked up and found herself staring down a pair of green eyes.
"The hell!?"
She scrambled to her feet and assumed a combat stance, preparing to face what she assumed was an enemy. What she found was Akhlut the Orca standing in front of her.
"Oh, it's just you," she said as she grinned. "Hey there, Blackfish, back for another beating?"
"I was." He eyed the polar bear up and down, his expression a mixture of disgust and derision. "But it looks like someone beat me to it."
"Tch! Please," Glacia scoffed. "I have more than enough fight in me to deal with you, Akhlut."
"No… you don't." The orca's eyes narrowed, his green pupil-irises glowing.
"The hell are you-?"
Suddenly, Glacia felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her head. She fell to her knees, clutching her skull.
"The fugg…what…are you…?"
He remained silent, the glow in his eyes burning bright as the gem in his forehead glowed with ominous power. Pain radiated through Glacia's mind, the sensation akin to someone sticking hot pokers into her brain. She screamed in agony, blood beginning to pour from her eyes, nose, and ears. Life began to leave her eyes as her screams petered out, her entire body sagging and going limp. When she fell, there was nothing left of her mind, just an empty husk and a shattered soul.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Akhlut said as he activated his comm. "It's me, I've located and dealt with Glacia. Requesting pick-up."
"Copy that, Akhlut," Eggatha said. "How many pieces did you leave her in?"
"Physically? She's still intact. Mentally?" He looked over Glacia's unmoving body. "Far too many to bother counting. I don't think she'll ever wake up."
"Good," Eggatha said, her voice cold as the ice drifts. "The extraction team will pick you up shortly. Try not to strain yourself any further than you already have. You still haven't fully recovered from your beatdown and I am not losing anyone else to these bastards."
"Don't worry," Akhlut said, his voice softer this time. "I won't. See you soon, Staff Officer."
With that, he hung up. Pocketing his comm, he turned to the horizon, throwing his arms out and shouting into the open air.
"You hear that, Tundra?! Three of your Frozen Four are dead! You've lost your Ragnium, your captives, and now, your army!"
Akhlut smiled his signature demonic grin, his psystone flashing once more.
"And you're next!"
Author's Note:
(1): Mobian Frozen
Well, that was hectic. But three of the Frozen Four are down. One more and Tundra to deal with.
Amy's hammer morphing is based on the Paladin Amy skin from Sonic Forces: Speed Battle. Stay tuned for more info on it.
Please R&R. Until next time!