"I don't like this," Johan said, his expression pensive. The fighting had just suddenly stopped, his instincts screaming that something terrible had happened.
ID-01 caught her ally's apprehension, increasing her pace toward their destination. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he tried to keep up with the robotic girl, not daring to slow down.
It was like they had entered a war zone as they stepped onto the battlefield. Little remained of some buildings but scorched ruins. Others lay ripped from their supports, as if someone had plucked weeds. It was a frightful demonstration of Surtur's destructive capabilities. But as they approached the scene, only an eerie silence greeted them. Had Surtur killed everyone? He prayed at least some had fled to safety. Johan leaped away as his boot splashed in a pool of crimson, the stench of the mangled remains of the poor soul making him gag.
With careful steps, they slunk past an alley in the shadow of a half-destroyed building. Since they still didn't know the situation, it seemed prudent to avoid drawing Surtur's attention if he lurked nearby. They both froze as a sound shattered the silence.
Was that crying in distress? His heart seized in his throat as he spotted the source of the sound. It couldn't be.
"Ilma?" Johan rushed to Dino's side as the man cradled Yareli's limp form. Despair reflected in Dino's eyes, tears flowing without shame. "What happened?"
It was impossible. Yareli was the strongest person he knew, unkillable, capable of surviving anything.
"Hey, kid. And Robogirl." Dino's tone almost sounded humorous before his voice broke. "I'm sorry. I failed…" His sentence trailed off, unable to continue.
"No! Impossible. She can't be…"
"So, Yareli died," As usual, ID-01's tone contained no inflection or emotion. She was only stating an indisputable fact.
"Yeah. Surtur stabbed her Uhyre Key," Dino said, confirming this horrible truth. "She collapsed. Now only bones remain."
To demonstrate, Dino lifted a gloved hand. Yareli's limp arm collapsed as he released it. There was no reaction, not even a twitch. But Johan refused to believe this, shaking his friend hard. If he jostled her enough, she'd wake up. She had to.
"Oh, God. She really is." Johan's voice caught in his throat as the truth of the situation struck him, eyes burning as tears came unbidden.
Screaming with utter anguish, Johan punched a nearby wall. Pure agony spiked across his fist, blood trickling down his knuckle. But he hardly noticed, putting his head in his hands. ID-01 just stared at Yareli's lifeless body, still as a statue. Was this how robots grieved?
A sob escaped Johan's lips. His body went limp as all the energy drained from it. His heart felt empty, like he'd lost the most precious piece of his life. How pathetic he must appear. He hadn't even cried at his mother's funeral. At least then, it hadn't been a sudden shock. He'd had time to say goodbye as the cancer ate her alive from within. Or had Yareli's passing allowed him to cry for her, finally?
"I hated her," ID-01's sudden words drew everyone's attention. "She was always everything I wasn't. While I know Father cares about me, he's only ever given his love to her. I was jealous. It hurt when people started calling me ID-01, like I wasn't worthy of the name Ilma anymore. Only she was."
"ID-01." It surprised Johan to see a robot suffering.
"Despite this, you were a sister. I'd hoped we'd get closer when all this concluded." She went silent, refusing to say anything else.
"I'm sorry, I allowed Surtur to escape," Dino said, breaking the silence. "After what happened to Ilma, I froze. Forget it. We can lay the blame for this later. I hurt him pretty badly, but we still might stand a chance. With a broken leg, I doubt Reine will pose a problem anymore."
Dino turned to address Johan, eyeing the new belt across his waist. A weak smile came to his lips. "And I see the doctor has finished my belt's twin. Together, I think we can stop Surtur. I'm sorry, Johan, but the tears must wait."
"Yes, you're right." Rage burned in Johan's blood for his fallen friend. Surtur would pay for this outrage. He would die, no matter the cost. "Let's get him."
"I already contacted Doctor Halvorsen. He'll take care of Ilma," Dino said, standing. He'd regained his composure, ready for battle. Ready for revenge.
But ID-01 refused to respond, continuing to stare at Yareli's body. Johan had to reassess his opinion of her. Despite being a robot, her grief was genuine. How remarkable, how human.
"Best leave her to recover. Her belt's energy levels are still critically low, anyway. With her tireless speed, she'll catch up." Johan placed a hand on Dino's shoulder.
Unusual for the man, Dino nodded and followed without comment. The Ymir warrior pointed in the direction he'd seen Surtur carry Reine. The monster was heading toward his original destination, the Ymir headquarters. For what reason, they couldn't fathom. But Johan wouldn't allow him to complete whatever twisted goal he had planned.
While their steps were heavy, they had a purpose, too. Johan released his grief, turning it into hate and strength. It was a welcome relief from the pain nagging at his heart.
"Ilma, never fear. We're finishing this today." Johan gripped his hand hard enough to draw blood. His blood boiled, quivering with pent-up emotion. "Surtur is a dead man."
///
"Enough, you don't need to carry me," Reine said, hating the humiliation of being carried like luggage. Her broken leg seemed a minor concern in comparison. She still shuddered at the memory of Surtur pushing the bone back into place. It'd hurt like hell. Thank God Surtur had stumbled upon some medical supplies and gotten her into a proper splint.
"You need to conserve your strength. It's needed later." It rankled how Surtur fought to protect her like the late Wilson, like a human being.
"Is it because my Rangadriver has some power you need?" This explanation brought some measure of comfort. A machine monstrosity like him had no feelings.
As usual, her so-called ally refused to elaborate. Reine stewed in her situation, wondering about her next move. She'd finally gained her sort of vengeance against Fenrir, but it was hollow somehow. Was it because Surtur's hand had dealt the final blow instead of hers? Well, whatever. She still needed to deal with Halvorsen, but he'd be a cinch to eliminate. An elderly scientist was powerless against her might.
As Surtur dashed forward, the looming presence of the Ymir central headquarters finally came into view. The finale that would decide the entire planet's fate was approaching quickly. After a moment's silence, Surtur finally spoke.
"You are correct. It's necessary for the next step of my plan. Ruining the global economy isn't enough. Your Rangadriver possesses a special gift. Its nanomachines can infiltrate dead bodies and return them to life. With Ymir's teleporter prototype, I can spread them around the globe."
"Thank goodness. Surtur is only protecting me for my powers," Reine thought. All his strange behavior started making more sense.
"How do you plan to accomplish that? While a nuisance, my zombies aren't world-ending." It created curious questions that poked at the back of Reine's brain. While transformed, she had a vague sense of her zombie minions. It allowed her to send them instructions over great distances. Would this radar extend across the globe? Could she influence hundreds, if not thousands, of zombies at once?
"Not if I combine them with the Uhyre Key." Surtur ducked around a car, avoiding the gaze of a nearby soldier.
A military escort guarded the building, patrolling it with an annoying vigilance. After Ymir's fall, the army had converted it into a military HQ to address the numerous crises assailing Bifrost. They'd been the ones to send those annoying tanks after them during the first hour of Surtur's rampage. Watching the soldiers bake alive in their metal prisons brought Reine much amusement. Weakened as they were, however, these army guys might pose an actual threat—especially if they had those special anti-monster weapons.
"I'll transform your zombies into a fighting force humanity doesn't have a hope against." Surtur scanned the area, observing each soldier's patrol pattern with interest. "I've been working out the prototype in my head."
"Huh." Not that she cared. What did humanity ever do for her? It'd certainly be interesting to see if humans could defy Surtur's claim, though she doubted it. People were weak, idiotic, and useless.
It still brought up the aggravating question of what she'd do now. Since she didn't need him against Halvorsen, Reine would break ties with her erstwhile ally. There was the annoying point that she stood no chance against Surtur. Even weakened as he was, his damn flame sword would slay her with a single stroke.
Still, Surtur naively thought of her as an ally. Reine would use those legions of monsters against him, all hers to control through her Rangadriver. Powerful or not, Surtur couldn't survive hundreds of monsters attacking at once. Once he was dead, nothing could stop her. Reine's heart fluttered at the possibilities. She'd be an invincible, unstoppable warlord. Untold money and power would be hers.
"But that's if I'm reading him wrong," Reine thought, scowling. Surtur would likely betray her once he deemed her useful no longer. Still, she'd remain patient. Some opportunity would present itself to turn the tables.
///
"It can't be, not again!" Halvorsen said, falling to his knees and clutching Yareli's biker suit hard. His body trembled, breaking down.
ID-01 watched as the man she'd considered indomitable collapsed into broken sobs. He muttered to himself, blaming his weakness for his daughter's second death. Worse, his body seemed to deflate, visibly aging twenty years. Something inside the powerful man had cracked, shattering to pieces. She watched helplessly as her father grieved, unable to join him.
Some might consider this human weakness—something a machine like ID-01 was beyond. But a strange emptiness formed inside her, reminding ID-01 of her limitations. If she were human, she'd know how best to comfort him. But as a robot, that was beyond her capability. Her cold metal flesh would provide little solace.
"I need to do something. But what? Promise Surtur's destruction?" ID-01 thought. But such an oath seemed pointless. Hadn't she read somewhere that revenge was fruitless? While it might offer some happiness, it would be only empty, temporary relief.
"Father." ID-01 watched as her father returned to his feet. She noticed his breathing was heavy, eyes puffed from crying. After a moment, Halvorsen collected himself.
"You're done grieving?" ID-01 asked, confused.
"There's work to be done. Grieving can wait until we destroy Surtur. Ilma, how much have your energy supplies recovered?"
"Eight percent."
Halvorsen uttered a curse. "Not enough, but never mind. Reunite with the others. I'll coordinate our efforts behind the scenes. While not ideal, eight percent of power is better than nothing."
ID-01 remained silent, questioning the wisdom of her father burying his grief like that. Was this sudden determination just a distraction? While her logical algorithms argued to comply, she hesitated. Her mind turned to Yareli's other parental figure, Davidson, wondering how he'd react to this tragic news.
"What are you doing?" Halvorsen watched as ID-01 scrambled through Yareli's biker suit pockets. She nodded in satisfaction when she found her counterpart's phone.
"Some loose ends need closing first," ID-01 tightened her grip on the late Yareli's phone.
Her father nodded, understanding her meaning. "He deserves to know. He did an excellent job providing and sheltering her while I was away. But that doesn't matter right now. Better hasten your step before Surtur gets too far. Destroy him. Show no mercy."
The pure vitriol in his voice surprised her, but she nodded in acquiescence. Before departing, a sudden idea popped into ID-01's head. With reverence, she retrieved her sister's Rangadriver. It clicked around her waist, ID-01 wearing it like a baldric. It seemed appropriate. Yareli would join her in this final battle against Surtur in spirit. Besides, the belt might become useful later.
"Good luck." Halvorsen gave her new accessory an approving nod. After giving Yareli's body a quick glance, she darted off toward her quarry.
Because she lacked muscles, ID-01's pace didn't tire. Despite the rubble and debris obscuring her path, she made excellent time. Even from this distance, her sharp hearing detected the sound of combat and weapon fire. Surtur must be engaging the army again.
ID-01 opened Yareli's phone and checked her contact list. With Surtur occupied by the military, it bought her a few precious moments to converse with Yareli's adopted father. Her destruction was a distinct possibility in the upcoming battle. She might not get another chance. After two rings, Davidson picked up.
"Hello?" an older gentleman said.
"Hello."
"Yareli? How are you? Have you defeated Surtur yet?" Davidson asked, confusing her with someone else. It brought ID-01 an unexpected amount of dismay.
"No, it's me, ID-01. There's something important I need to discuss with you, Paul Davidson."
"Why do you have her phone?" Davidson asked, confused. Then something inside the older man clicked, understanding everything. "Oh… so Yareli fell in battle." It was a statement, not a question.
"Against Surtur, yes. She fought well." ID-01 thought this might provide some comfort, but Davidson's response told her she'd erred. The pain in the older man's tone was raw and open.
"I see." Davidson took a deep breath and sighed.
"You're taking this better than my father. Do all humans react to grief differently?" It wasn't the bawling and anguished screams she'd experienced from Johan and her father. Davidson's sadness was more somber and reserved.
"I'm an old man, young lady. I've lost people before." He paused for several moments before continuing. "Including a son. It happened when he was only five. A sudden illness took him."
"You can adjust to the pain better?"
"No, years of unwanted experience." While unable to see his face, she visualized gentle tears flowing down his cheeks. "Humans are complex. We each deal with our problems differently."
"I'm not sure how I should," ID-01 admitted. "It's like I've lost a piece of myself. Like a huge chunk of my code has been deleted. I'm not acting normal. Instead of fulfilling my mission parameters, I'm talking with you."
"My father and Johan demand Surtur's head, but my only desire is to curl up into a ball somewhere, motionless." She glanced down, ashamed. "Am I weak? If our situations were reversed, Yareli would rush out to confront Surtur to avenge me."
"This isn't a bad thing, ID-01. Revenge solves nothing," Davidson said, surprising her. She'd expected he'd demand vengeance, too. Instead, he only cared about helping her. "You're your own person. Do what your heart thinks is right. It isn't wrong to take some time apart to grieve."
But that defied all logic. Surtur was a grave threat to everyone, yet she saw his words contained wisdom. ID-01 needed space to process Yareli's passing.
"Thank you for talking with me," ID-01 said with the utmost sincerity. No wonder Yareli liked him so much. Unlike most people she'd met, he spoke with patient kindness and understanding.
After a sniff, Davidson gave a small laugh. "Any time. Visit me whenever you like. It's nice to see such young people being so attentive. But I should get going. You have matters to attend to, like saving us all."
ID-01 nodded, her resolve hardening. If she couldn't fight for revenge or herself, she'd fight for Davidson instead. He seemed worth protecting. Yareli would have approved.
Unconsciously, she placed a hand on Yareli's wolf Uhyre Key. It seemed odd, but she took comfort from its presence. It was like her sister was fighting alongside her. She wouldn't face Surtur alone.
"Wait." How had she missed something so obvious? While Yareli was gone, her power wasn't.
"Sorry?"
With deft fingers, she pried open Yareli's key. With a wire, she attached her processor to read its data. While her sister's personality code had gotten ruined and scrambled, her combat data hadn't. A strange excitement washed over her as an idea clicked into place.
"I'm sending you some data, Davidson. I have an idea." She attached her wire to Yareli's phone and transferred data to it. "It contains the data for my belt and Yareli's Rangadriver."
"For what reason?" the older man asked, distractedly reading over what she'd sent him.
"My belt is low on power, but the Rangadriver isn't. With some work, I suspect my key is compatible with it."
"Um, I'm not Halvorsen. You're not talking to a genius here. I doubt I'll be much help in this department."
"But you're familiar with Yareli's Rangadriver. If anyone can solve this puzzle, it's you."
"I suppose it's worth a try." However, ID-01 heard a grin behind Davidson's voice. Neither of them would allow Surtur to succeed in his twisted goals.
ID-01 detached her old belt and tossed it over her shoulder. With an odd reverence, she attached Yareli's Rangadriver in its place. While it only weighed a couple grams more than her old belt, it seemed weightier somehow. It defied logic, but she sensed Yareli's presence. It urged her on, welcoming her as a sister. Together, she and Yareli would stop Surtur and save everyone. A strange confidence filled her as she rushed toward her goal. It defied all logic, but ID-01 had regained her purpose. Yareli would rest easy knowing her death hadn't been in vain.