See Chapter One For Disclaimers.
NOTE: For those of you who aren't all that knowledgeable about Norse mythology, the Aesir are roughly the Norse equivalent of the Olympians. More accurately they were one of the two main factions of gods, the other were the Vanir. Please note those of you who DO know that the Valkyrie were not actually warriors, that I have and will continue to take some license with the concept. (Given the liberties that have been taken with Greek mythology in XWP, I don't think this should be too much of a problem for most of us. :))
Valkyrie Rising
Chapter Six
"What's up? Did you get a chance to talk to him yet?" Franny slid into the booth as Coll unobtrusively took up a position just off to the side of them. "What did he say?"
"Not much." Megan's voice was harsh, her annoyance plain. "We've got bigger problems Fran. Told you about Loki the other day and I'd bet the farm that it’s the same deal with Thor. Thing is, there's another one of them poking his nose in too. No idea who this one is."
By the time Meg was done telling her about the guy Coll hadn't seen, Franny's dark eyes were fairly snapping with anger. "They've got a lot of nerve coming in here. This is my place, not their little playground. This stops now. " The steel in her voice was frightening. Without waiting for Meg to speak, she jumped to her feet and stormed over to Big Tee.
As she watched her go, Megan experienced a now familiar flash of double sight. For the merest instant, she seemed to se another face overlapping Franny's, a face topped by a barbaric feathered headdress. The moment she blinked, it was gone. Fran was her usual autocratic self; there was no trace of anything out of the ordinary
"I've had enough Tee. They're not going to get away with this." Fran slapped her palm down on the counter emphatically. Her anger was apparent in every line of her body. "They're on my turf now!"
"C'mon Fran. What if they really are gods?"
"So what? These are my friends, my sisters, they're messing with here." As far as Fran was concerned that was the end of the story. She'd always had a particular affinity for Megan and Ginger, considering them family. There was no question in her mind that she was obligated to protect them.
Tee looked down at her, his brow furrowed in concern. "You might get hurt. I don't want that."
Fran smiled and gently touched his cheek. "I won't." Her tone was positive, brooking no argument. "Not with you here my love." Giving his cheek a final caress, she turned back toward the bar. "Now here's what we're going to do…"
The two of them bent their heads together, muttering and laughing like naughty children.
Meg and Ginger sat together in the back booth watching the crowd filter in. There were a lot of new faces in the bunch, a fact that made Megan very uneasy. As always over the last few days, there was a constant whirring in the back of her mind. She had a feeling that the situation was going to break, and the less people she had to worry about the better. No doubt she'd need all the help she could get before the night was out. Inside her head, the ravens screamed out their agreement.
"How am I going to do this Gin? There has to be an answer, how do I make Thor spill it?" Megan took a deep pull from the mug of light ale that sat in front of her.
"Short of beating it out of him, I'm not sure." Ginger's green eyes gleamed speculatively for a moment, then narrowed as she looked at Megan. "Maybe I should talk to him."
"I don't think so." The reaction was immediate. Protect Ginger at all costs. The mere idea of her confronting Thor tied Megan's gut in a knot. She had no doubt anymore that this guy was really the Thunder God, not even the slightest question in her mind. No way was Gin going anywhere near him. She'd keep her out of the line of fire even if it meant taking on all of the Aesir alone.
"You can't keep doing that you know." Ginger glared at her knowingly "I'm not a child. I can look after myself."
"I know you can, it's just that…" Megan trailed off, at a loss for words. How could she explain what she knew with a certainty beyond speaking. The knowledge that somehow Gin was in grave danger had no source, it simply was. It was all tied together in some way, all the weirdness, tangled hopelessly with the love she dared no longer give voice.
"It goes both ways you know. I worry about you too." Gin's voice was pure velvet; a soft tone that Megan knew meant trouble. It meant the argument was already lost. "I can't just sit quietly by and do nothing, I have to do something." Still glowering at Megan, she abruptly stood and stalked toward the stage. There was no mistaking her resolve.
He stood just outside the door of the Black Java, watching the parking lot. Where Thor was, his bastard brother would surely follow. Despite the girl's stinging rejection of him, he would not let them have her. It was not his way to easily let go of what he considered to be his.
A hint of movement caught his eye, just beyond the row of Harleys. The barest flicker of shadow and then it was gone. Intrigued, he warily moved in for a closer look. There was nothing there. Odd. What could possibly move too fast for a god to catch?
Baldur watched the arrogant Greek from a perch on top of the light standard. He knew it was a petty game he played, but it would keep the young upstart from interfering. So what if it also provided him with some amusement? Just because he'd gotten stuck babysitting this little barbarian didn't mean he had to be bored. There was no reason why he should miss out on all the fun, no reason at all.
"Thor." When he didn't answer immediately, Gin raised her voice and tried again. "Thor, I want to talk to you."
He turned away from the cables he was adjusting, towering over her. Eyes greener than her own regarded her with cool assessment, and then he nodded. "Make it fast. I've only got a few moments before the first set."
"I really don't care. What did you do to Megan?"
"I didn't DO anything. "
"Right. This all started the day you showed up, but you didn't do anything." Her voice was heavy with scorn.
"Believe me, or don't. It's your choice." His shrugged implied that her belief was of little import to him, and immediately annoyed her. "I'm only looking after her interests." Thor hesitated momentarily, as if weighing his options. "Ask her if she knows the story of the Valkyrie."
Without waiting for a response, he jumped back onto the stage, leaving her standing there in confusion. It was more than obvious that she'd been dismissed. Clamping down on the rage that threatened to surface, she followed him. She was after information, not a fight. "We're not through." She said warningly.
"We are for now. She'll get most of her answers from the lawyer. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a show to do."
Gin stood a moment, looking at him in consternation. She couldn't imagine what the lawyer had to do with it. Thor was making less sense all the time. "Thor…"
"Later." Seeing her look, he reached out and gently touched her arm. "You have my word."
Satisfied or not, she was going to have to be happy with that. It was all she was going to get at the moment, and she knew it.
Megan was well on her way to a fit of total pique. Here she sat, all hell breaking loose around her, and everybody went and left her alone. A small voice in the back of her head reminded her that Coll was only three feet away. Unappeased, she told it to shut up. She was working up to a good sulk, and she didn't want to be confused with logic.
As she watched Gin accost Thor, she was impressed despite herself. There was no stopping the woman once she had her dander up. The awe and amusement faded quickly as she wondered what she had ever done to deserve such a loyal defense.
All she'd ever done was hurt Gin. Even when they were together, she'd hurt her. They'd only barely managed to survive their break-up as friends. It had been all Megan's idea, and Gin had wanted no part of it. It hadn't been fair then, and it wasn't fair now. Still, there had been no other choice for Megan. What else could she have done? It had been the only way to keep Gin safe, she was sure of it. She drank deeply from her mug, hands shaking as the memory washed over her.
… They'd just finished midterms, and they had been getting ready to go out and celebrate. As usual, bathing had turned into a game; it was becoming something of a ritual with them. They'd been in the shower when the doorbell rang. Laughing, Meg had grabbed a towel and headed for the door, certain it was Franny. She had jerked the door open only to come face to face with her family.
Her Mom had looked so surprised, but nonetheless happy to see her. At least, she had been happy until Gin wandered in still tucking her towel around her. Everything changed then. It was obvious that they'd been bathing together, and it hadn't taken her folks long to put two and two together. Her mother's smile had faded to ice and the shouting had begun.
The ensuing melodrama had surpassed even Meg's worst expectations. It had been heartbreakingly awful and had settled nothing. Finally her parents had left, still flinging insults and recriminations as Meg slammed the door behind them. The old station wagon tore out of the parking lot, driven like hell was behind them.
They had never made it home. The car had skidded, plunging over a steep bank. They'd been killed instantly. Megan had never been able to forgive herself for the causing the argument that had cost them their lives. Determined never to endanger Gin, she had broken things off right away.
The plaintive wail of an electric guitar drew Megan's attention back to the present just as Gin slipped into the booth beside her. "Hey Tiger. How'd you make out?" It was a challenge to make herself heard over the sheer volume of the crowd. They had gone crazy at the first chord, chanting and calling out. From their behavior as the band took the stage, it was obvious that Thunder was well known to them.
Gin looked around absently for a few moments before she answered. "Not real well. All he said was that the lawyer would answer your questions. That and to ask you what you knew about the Valkyrie."
The second bit was so bizarre that she ignored the first bit for the moment. "The Valkyrie? Choosers of the Slain? What the hell has that got to do with anything? Shit!" Megan's confusion was quickly turning to anger. If she didn't get some answers after the band's first set, she was going to have to hurt Thor. Badly. God or no god. "What kind of an answer is that? Legendary battle-maidens? Sworn virgins? What do I remember about them…" her voice trailed off softly.
As if on cue the words to the song the band was plying penetrated Megan's consciousness. For just a few moments, she could hear them clearly over the tumult of the crowd.
"From the darkness
come the Choosers of the Slain
In the last days
the Valkyrie shall rise
In the last days
darkness falls without a sound
In the last days
of Ragnarok…"
Ragnarok? The end of the world… twilight of the gods. The raucous cries of the ravens echoed through Megan's ears as the roar of the audience swallowed the lyrics once again. Turning to Gin, she saw a look of consternation that surely mirrored her own. What the hell was Thor up to?
He was thoroughly annoyed now. If he got his hands on whoever was tormenting him he would choke the life out of them. Twice more he had followed the shadowy movements, only to find nothing. How was he supposed to keep watch if they kept making him look like a fool?
Another movement flickered just on the periphery of his vision. This time he ignored it. Let them get cocky and come a little closer, then he'd have them. Closing his eyes, he leaned indolently against a lamppost. He'd teach them not to mess with the God of War.
From his vantage point atop the apartment building, Loki watched Baldur's antics with great amusement. The little Greek godling must have really been annoying this time. Baldur was taking far too much pleasure from keeping him occupied, and this sort of petty torment was usually beneath him. Glancing down at the huge grey wolf at his feet, he laughed aloud.
Fenris was curled nose to tail, disdainfully refusing to watch the by-play below. "Beneath your dignity my Son?" Loki's feral grin widened when the wolf forbore to answer. "Don't you think we should join in the fun?"
A menacing growl was all the response he received. Still chuckling, he resumed his watch. The right moment had yet to come.
Megan's eyes flashed like blue fire. It was almost all she could do to hold her temper. Despite her best efforts, she had been unable to corner Thor during either of the band's breaks. Fawning women had constantly surrounded him. To his credit, he seemed to pay them little heed, but they had effectively acted as a barrier between him and the rest of the world.
Gin had been dancing with all comers, much to Meg's chagrin, and it was doing nothing to improve her mood. Sometimes she wished the little writer were not so open and trusting. To top everything off, Fran and Tee were up to something and they wouldn't tell her what it was. If she had a sword, she'd start swinging it. Something had to break and soon, or she was going to force the issue.
Fran waited impatiently while Tee made the rounds of the bar, casually talking to each of the Nightriders. A slow smile of satisfaction crept across her face when she saw him talking to Arlen. When the lanky redhead nodded and made his way to the phone, she slipped quietly into the back room. If anyone knew what to do, it would be Arlen's sister Rikki.
If she could gather her Circle, they might stand a chance. In the meanwhile, she'd better make like the happy hostess. Tee had all the boys on alert, and she had customers to serve. Not that the crowd had been a problem. She had to admit, god or man, Thor had made good on his promise to put on a hell of a show.
The booth was getting very crowded. Coll and a couple of the other guys had come to sit with them on their break, pressing them into very close quarters. Gin was jammed so tightly against her that Megan could feel her breathing. Ordinarily it wasn't something she'd complain about, but given everything else that had been happening, it was making Meg a little edgy.
She was trying to tactfully maneuver them into leaving when the band suddenly kicked it up a notch. The new song was astounding. It had a low, slow, pulsing beat that cut right through to the bone. The bass got right inside, pounding with the heart, throbbing with every breath. It was a wild sensation, untamed and somehow deeply erotic. Feeling Ginger wriggle in the seat beside her, Meg was suddenly felt compelled to move. At that moment, being on the dance floor amid the mass of writhing, undulating humanity was the thing she most desired. Grabbing Gin by the hand, she practically shoved Coll out of the booth. It never occurred to her that for the first time in days, the ravens were deathly silent.
Loki was getting restless. So was Fenris. Both of them paced impatiently back and forth on the rooftop. For awhile, Baldur's machinations had kept him entertained but even that had long since palled. If Thor didn't give him an opportunity to make his entrance soon, he would have to create one. It found it greatly upsetting that he might have to improvise. Loki liked everything to go just as he expected.
Fenris on the other hand was simply bored. He'd searched everywhere they'd been for the Staff. No luck. The excitement of being free again was beginning to pale, and he never had liked working with his father. The thrill of the hunt was more his style than Loki's incessant posturing.
The song that had driven them onto the dance floor had been a long one, and the beat had never let up. By the time it was over, Megan could barely keep her hands off Ginger. Between the closeness and the pulse of the music, she was so aroused that a cold shower wasn't going to suffice this time. Judging by Gin's heavy lidded eyes and the flush that dusted her skin, she was feeling much the same way.
If they didn't get off the dance floor, they were going to make a spectacle of themselves. They tried valiantly, but the crowd kept forcing them back. They were getting closer to the stage all the time. Finally, they were so close to Thor that she could almost hear him breathing. That's when she started to pay attention to the lyrics again.
"Who will be my brother's keeper
defender of the lowest man
Who will stand against the reaper
while the dark wolf stalks the land…"
The drums took on a tribal beat, deep and savage. The guitars wailed like vengeful Furies thwarted of their rightful prey. Smoke began rolling from strategically placed pots around the stage. The colors of the lights were dark and angry, and in Megan's head the ravens shrieked. The eldritch presence she'd felt that time in the lab rose again like a tide just as the front door of the café blew open with a crash.
There was a brilliant flash of red tinged light and Loki stood silhouetted in the doorway, flanked by an enormous grey wolf. The crowd went berserk, figuring it was all a part of the show. Megan and her friends knew better. As Loki stepped into the room, Coll and the other Nightriders began circling around to get between him and the door. The band never missed a beat. Softly, barely audible at first, Thor began to sing.
"Strike the hammer
beat the drum
Cry for thunder
I will come
Cry for thunder
I will come…"
The last two lines repeated several times, swelling to a roar, and then fading. The lights went down with a tremendous crashing of cymbals as Thor stepped off the stage and stalked toward Loki.
(c) M.C. Sak 2000