"Impossible." Reine stared in sheer disbelief.
"Fenrir, alive again." Was it Johan's imagination, or did Surtur's tone contain a hint of finality, as if this encounter were destiny?
"Hot damn. That's some hot trick, Robogirl." Despite being harried from every side by zombie beasts, Dino laughed in delight. But it left Johan with mixed emotions, displeased about ID-01 borrowing his late friend's belt.
"Don't call me Robogirl," the second Fenrir said. Was it Johan's imagination, or was she emoting more than usual?
Fenrir approached her opponents with a posture that reminded Johan of a bird of prey ready to strike. Johan used the distraction to hide behind some nearby rubble.
Tension hung in the air as ID-01 and Surtur studied each other, a silent battle between titans. Johan couldn't imagine the incredible calculations being plotted between the two warriors.
Then their blades collided. Johan winced as the clash almost rendered him deaf. Seeing an opportunity, Reine fired at the second Fenrir from behind. But a wing intercepted her shots, Hel yelping in pain as it slashed into her. Hackles raised, Surtur unleashed the full intent of his wrath on his opponent. The heat stole the breath from Johan's lungs as the air temperature rose to almost volcanic levels, a wall melting as Surtur's blade swept over it. ID-01 leaped away instead of blocking, sensing the folly of attempting that.
Instead, she kept her distance, watching for an opportunity to strike at a weak point. But Surtur didn't allow her that luxury, fighting with surprising recklessness. The giant dared not enter a prolonged confrontation with his energy level so dire.
The giant's body blazed hotter, starting fires with his mere presence. ID-01 tried striking with one of her wings, but it melted into slag on impact. She grunted as a powerful kick drove her back, but slipped away before Surtur could capitalize with his sword.
"So powerful. But Surtur can't keep this up forever," Johan said.
Surtur pressed his advance, but Fenrir refused to surrender, leaving deep gouges in her opponent's armor whenever an opportunity presented itself. The two seemed evenly matched in their efforts to deliver the final blow, but neither could finish it.
Dino kept Reine distracted, keeping her from preying on his ally. He engaged the former idol and her zombie beast lackeys alone, striking them down methodically with careful sweeps of his spear.
Metal squealed from the impact as ID-01 took another boot to the chest, but Surtur staggered as Fenrir used her remaining wing to stab into his neck. The blow exposed circuitry, cutting deep into the behemoth's armor. As Surtur fought, Johan detected a sluggishness in his movements. They seemed lethargic and clumsy compared to Fenrir's lightning swiftness. This was it. They'd finally pushed Surtur past his breaking point!
"Uh, Surtur," Reine said, eyeing her ally with worry. She'd noticed his weakening performance, too.
"Yes. Surtur's energy system has almost lost power," ID-01 said with her usual frankness. Though Johan detected a hint of satisfaction in her voice. "I predict three percent remains."
"No!" Reine's previous worry turned to outright panic.
"This isn't over," Surtur said with surprising confidence. "I won't allow defeat."
Johan's eyes widened as the giant suddenly withdrew his Uhyre key from his belt. Panic spiked as fire gathered around Surtur's blade—Johan realized what their enemy was planning.
ID-01 withdrew her key for her own special attack, but Surtur pressed his faster. "Reine, right office!"
Obeying without question, Hel slipped into a nearby office room. With Dino still engaged with the zombie beasts, it left him open to the assault.
"The End!" But Surtur didn't aim only toward Fenrir and Gungnir. Instead, he redirected the sweeping arc of destruction. An explosion deafened Johan, who screamed in fright as he found hundreds of tons of concrete collapsing toward him.
///
"You got them." Reine's excitation was short-lived as she choked on dust and smoke, blinded by both. Her fear rose to a fever pitch as the ground shifted under her. She yelped in pain and surprise as her head struck a wall that had become a floor.
Before she could fall with the rest of the building, a firm hand grabbed her and pulled her to safety. "Surtur?"
The giant didn't reply, hauling her away with astonishing speed despite not using his armor. Surtur seemed to know exactly what unstable parts of the floor to avoid. Reine sighed in relief as they entered a safe haven free of fire. She whistled as she examined the damage, a piece of the great superstructure carved away in an ugly, charred scar. It'd been a miracle Surtur hadn't collapsed the entire building.
"All dead, you think?" It was a miracle that foolhardy attack hadn't killed her too.
"Unknown. But there isn't time for speculation. We need to hurry. The research lab I require is only two floors above."
"Is there a stairwell nearby?" With the fire spreading faster, Reine wondered how long the building's integrity would hold.
"This way," Surtur said, guiding a limping Reine toward a nearby stairwell door. It was a lucky break that the robot's system contained the building's blueprints. While painful, she matched his hurried pace. Despite running on fumes, Surtur was steadfast in completing his objective: bringing Ragnarök. It was almost admirable.
More soldiers barred their way, but one shot made their corpses useful foot soldiers. Reine marveled at how quickly the process worked once her nanomachines infected someone.
"Here," Surtur said, stopping in an abandoned laboratory. He pointed up and slashed the roof, creating a person-sized hole.
The lab was dark as they slipped inside. From its appearance, it seemed they had entered the most secure room in the building. A camera turned to observe them, its lens sending a speculative glance their way. After giving it a mocking smile, Reine turned to address the room.
"This is the place?" she asked, simultaneously commanding her zombie beast minions to secure the area.
After a quick glance, Surtur found his objective. Reine remembered the platform from a commercial she had shot. "Finally, let's bring death all across the land!"
"And my rulership as my minions spread to the far reaches," Reine thought.
After tapping some controls, a machine hummed to life. The entire room vibrated from its surge of power. Surtur wasted no time connecting himself to the device.
"Not what?" Reine asked.
"Place one of your zombies on the pad. I will use it to spread its nanomachines." Surtur placed an explosive charge on the creature's chest—taken earlier from a dead soldier. "I will spread them across the high atmosphere. Anyone who breathes them in will have a two percent survival rate. From there, they will continue to spread and multiply."
"Seems a little slow, though." Reine watched Surtur tap some buttons, and the machine buzzed with activity.
"Regrettable, but it will be effective." They watched as the zombie beast glowed with light and then vanished to parts unknown.
"And now it's the beginning of the end!" Reine fought back laughter. It died as the room went dark, all power leaving it.
"Halvorsen." Though his tone was flat, Surtur uttered the name like a curse. "He must have disconnected the power when he figured out our plan. Little matter. The room has what I need. Reine, across the room are some experimental power units. Please fetch them. Obstacles are sure to arrive soon."
"I am not an errand girl!" But Reine did as instructed, trying her best as she navigated through the dark with her bad leg. Thankfully, her suit had infrared. Fools. This was only a slight delay. Ragnarök was inevitable.
///
A groan escaped Johan's lips, and pain consumed him as consciousness returned. He coughed, trying to dislodge the dust in his throat. Everything hurt as he lifted his head, memory returning in scattered bursts.
"Damn you, Surtur," Johan said, pushing himself into a sitting position. The icy wind blasted from a broken window, stinging against his battered, bloody flesh. Rubble created a small alcove around him, shakily held by a support beam. He was lucky to still be alive.
With some effort, Johan pushed himself over to the window. At least a dozen stories sat between him and the ground.
"Come on! How do I get down?"
An idea sparked some hope in his heart, but it died when he found his phone smashed, crumbling in plastic chunks as he pulled it from his pocket. No rescue would arrive soon. With the riots, it'd take forever for a team to reach him. ID-01 couldn't help—one of her wings was nonfunctional.
"Damn, I'm sorry, Ilma. I couldn't avenge your death." Or do much of anything against Surtur. What a useless failure he'd been.
"That's a shame, isn't it?" a voice said, sending a wave of terror down his spine. "But don't worry, I'll comfort you in your darkest hour."
Shaking all over, Johan turned to find the monstrous form of Selim staring at him through the broken window. His spidery legs clung to the concrete as he skittered up to greet his old adversary.
"Oh hell!" He didn't get to finish his expletive as webbing covered him head to toe. Vertigo struck as Selim dragged him upside down to the top of the shattered remains of Ymir's headquarters.
After a bowel-clenching journey up several stories, they arrived at the roof. Johan's already bruised ribs howled as Selim hurled him to the floor.
"Now what?" Selim said, skittering around his helpless prey. "You killed me, you scum. How can I avenge that?"
Johan kept his expression neutral, refusing to give the bastard the satisfaction of seeing him scared. That resolve lasted five minutes before Selim pounded a fist into Johan's already wounded ribs. The pain was so sharp he almost passed out. He heaved on the ground, struggling for breath. Selim's spider-like face broke into a fearsome grin as he eagerly began to beat his victim to death.
///
"Are you sure this is the place?" Friedel asked, parking in the nearest spot in the abandoned lot. Fires sprouted sporadically along the building's surface. Entire floors were smoldering ruins. He prayed Johan wasn't in that hellhole.
"That's what the text said," Rebecca grunted as she hefted a suitcase from the backseat. "Let's just hope we aren't too late."
"I'll tell Johan we're here." Rebecca frowned as no reply came. "Come on, you told me you'd answer right away."
"Hey, you can't be here!" a man in a ragged soldier's outfit said. From his expression, he'd recently gone through some terrible ordeal.
"Well, uh…" Rebecca floundered, unprepared for the soldier's sudden arrival.
"We're here to help. My stepson's in there fighting monsters!" Friedel said.
"That's fine, sir. But this building is dangerous. It's recently suffered damage from an explosion. Please return to your homes. We have the situation under control."
"We can't leave! Doctor Halvorsen asked for us!" Rebecca protested.
"Doctor Halvorsen?" The soldier's confidence wavered. "One sec and…"
"Johan!" Friedel pointed at a horrible spider creature pulling his son from a window in webbing. It skittered upward toward the roof. "We can't wait!" Without another word, he tore the power unit from Rebecca's hands and dashed toward the building. He wouldn't dare be late.
"Hey!" But Friedel was already gone before the soldier could protest.
"Work, damn you!" Friedel slammed the elevator button with his fist. But nothing happened—the button didn't even light up. The building was over thirty floors high. He'd never make it otherwise.
"Sir, I said you can't be in here!" the soldier said, panting.
"I'm not leaving my stepson to that monster!"
The soldier opened his mouth to argue, but stopped as someone spoke into his earpiece. "Are you sure, doctor? Understood."
"Don't worry, sir. We'll make sure your stepson gets that part," the soldier said. "They're turning on this elevator in a moment."
"Thank you!" Friedel clutched at the soldier's uniform, almost weeping in relief.
"The doctor assures me this elevator was undamaged during the explosion. I pray he's right." The soldier gave the lift's door a weary look.
With a musical chime, the elevator door slid open. Much to Friedel's surprise, the young soldier joined him.
"I'm not letting you face that monster alone," he said, brandishing his weapon to show he was prepared. "Jim."
"Friedel. I hope so, Jim." Friedel had seen that creature before—back at the dinner before it turned the place into an inferno, nearly killing dozens. He prayed an ordinary rifle would be enough. They stood in tense silence as the lift zipped up the shaft. Though its speed was impressive, each second was an agonizing eternity to Friedel.
"I'm coming, Johan. Just hold on."
The scene that greeted them as the door opened wasn't promising. The roof was in rough shape, part of its surface tilting down. Pained screams caught their attention, alerting them to Johan's presence.
"Damn you," Johan said through a pained breath. Above him stood the spider monster, pinning him to the ground. The creature was crushing his chest with a spiked leg, drawing blood. From its body language, the monster clearly had no intention of making Johan's death quick.
"Interlopers." The spider monster growled, alerted by the sudden opening of the elevator doors.
"Friedel? No, get out of here! Save yourself!" Johan's eyes widened in panic at the sudden appearance of his stepfather.
Jim wasted no time opening fire on the monster, but the bullets only annoyed the beast. It dislodged itself from its victim to attend to these new interlopers.
The monster's arachnid expression turned amused when the soldier's weapon did nothing. It stalked toward its new prey. They spread out, so the creature couldn't get them both. Friedel edged closer to his still-captive stepson.
"What's that case?" the monster said, eyeing the briefcase clutched tight in Friedel's hand. "Another nasty surprise, I suppose."
With a roar, the soldier abandoned his rifle and leaped toward the monster with a combat knife. "Go!"
"Sorry, Jim!" Friedel wasted no time dashing toward his stepson, unwilling to waste the soldier's sacrifice.
"Pitiful." The spider monster smirked as the knife bounced off his tough, dull gray hide, swatting Jim aside. In a single bound, he leaped to block Friedel's path. "Sorry, but Johan's had enough good fortune already."
"Never!" With a roar, Friedel charged. The beast yelped in startled surprise as his would-be prey slammed his full weight into him. The blow knocked the monster off Johan, throwing it a meter away.
"I was a quarterback in college!" Friedel yelled, pleased his old rugby instincts hadn't abandoned him.
"Funny," the spider monster replied, unamused. The beast pointed razor-sharp claws at his chest, eager to vivisect the interloper.
But it proved a nifty distraction as Jim rushed to Johan's side, combat knife ready to cut him free. The monster noticed, but Friedel charged again to forestall it.
Before he could connect, liquid pain ripped across his chest as a claw slipped along his belly. Thinking Friedel defeated, the monster turned to decapitate the soldier working on Johan's bonds.
"Leave my stepson alone!" The creature flinched as Friedel's sudden punch struck his face, inflicting only minor damage.
"Enough!" Pain exploded across Friedel's back as he crashed against a fence guarding the roof's edge.
"Damn, I'm too old for this." Terror gripped his heart as he saw the monster looming over him, smiling malevolently. The stench of this thing really stuck him, like putrid meat left out in the sun. It got into Friedel's face, its mandibled face somehow conveying a sinister smile.
"I'll enjoy eating you in front of your stepson, old man," the spider monster said. "How he'll cry for me to stop, to offer mercy."
"No. I'll tell you instead—you should have stayed in the hole you've been hiding in." In Johan's hand was his belt. In the other, a glowing blue device radiating power. He opened his belt and slipped the new energy unit inside, slamming it shut with a satisfying click.
Friedel savored the expression of pure terror on the spider monster's face. It hadn't expected this.
"Henshin!" Johan transformed into golden armor, looking like a heroic figure from legend.
The creature tried to flee, scrambling for the fence, but Friedel forestalled him by grabbing his legs. It was like trying to hold back a moving truck, but Friedel held firm. This monster would never hurt his stepson again.
"Let go!" the creature wailed, raising a claw to strike Friedel dead. But Johan had other ideas.
With twin swords in hand, Johan slashed forward. Both glowed with radiant power, each a miniature sun. He spun in an arc, each blade severing flesh where it struck.
"Twin Strike!" Johan's blow cut the spider creature in three, its expression frozen in terror as it died. The monster exploded, and Johan used his body to shield his stepfather from the blast. It was over.
"Damn, where the hell did you get that thing?" Friedel asked, laughing, equal parts relief and happiness. "And where can I get one?"
"Hold still. You're hurt," Johan said, undoing his transformation.
"I'm fine, son," Friedel said. "What about you? Did that creature hurt you?"
"Nothing I can't handle." Both stepfather and stepson were stubborn, refusing to show weakness. The absurdity of the situation made them laugh.
"You did good, Johan," Friedel said, tears in his eyes. "Your mother would be proud. You've grown into a fine young man."
"Yeah." Johan hesitated, unsure how to respond. "Yeah."