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"Thanks for comin' along with me, Sally."
"I'm not going to miss your first day of work. Besides, I like trains, even if it's just to commute."
"It's nice that both my apartment and the Zoo are right near train stops."
Ferric grinned. "Well, the Zoo needs a stop so people can get there easily. The apartment... isn't a coincidence."
"I was wonderin' about that."
"The Bureau doesn't leave a lot to chance when they can help it. You have everything you're going to need?"
"I think so. Railpass, wallet, keys, phone, Zoo ID, and my lunch. Am I missing anything?"
"A kiss for luck?" Ferric leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Fenrir blushed. "But I got that now, too."
"Then let's go. Imagers on. And remember --"
"Sandy Hunter and Lenny Jackson when we're horses, yep."
They walked down to the Sunnen Blue Line Station together, a pair of oversized horses to the eyes of other pedestrians. The train made its way down the tracks while Ferric pointed out features at each stop. "Clayton is where I live. Two more stops is Washington University, and two past that is Forest Park, that's where the Zoo is."
"That's your university, right?"
"Right. Only two stops down from the Zoo. I'll buy a season pass and meet you there when our schedules match up, okay?"
He smiled. "Sure thing!"
"But I'm still not gonna buy lunch there very often. Honestly, they're worse than movie theater prices."
"The employee cafeteria is a lot cheaper. I'll see if you can eat there with me? If you'd like to?"
She nodded. "I'd like that. See if you can have a guest eat with you. If not, I'll just bring my own lunch and we'll meet somewhere."
"All right! That'll be fun."
"But not today. Today I'm going to have to drop you off and then get back to school. I've got a one p.m. heat and fluids lab."
He looked downcast at that statement. "I dunno what that is. I'm sorry--"
She poked him in the ribs before he could start denigrating himself. "Don't be. Pretty sure only Fixer and Dark Starr know what that is out of everyone on base. And neither do most other folks. It's not something most people have studied."
"You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"Nope, on my honor. Go ahead, ask your co-workers today if they know what the Bernoulli Equation is."
"Burr-nelly?"
"Yep. I've got a t-shirt with it, I'll wear it tomorrow. You're not dumb for not knowing that."
"If you say so. But I *am* gonna ask. You don't have to lie to me, I know I'm not smart."
"Maybe not yet. But I think you're going to get there. So I don't want to hear you put yourself down, either, okay?"
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely. Right now? You think slowly, but you get it *right* when you get there. A lot of people think faster, and then get it wrong. I prefer your version."
"Awww..." He blushed again.
"Think about it. Loki acts smart, and he thinks fast, but...?" They rode in companionable silence for a while. "And that's our stop coming up. Let's get to the door."
* * * * * *
"You're not easy to find, Loki."
The fox started, suddenly... awake? No, he wasn't actually awake, was he? He should be sleeping in a cheap motel somewhere in Kansas, not by a campfire in a pine forest with a white wolf. He reached for his pistol, and his hand closed on a spear instead. "I'm actually impressed. How did you get through my wards?"
"By using a rather messy bit of *seidr* - trance magic -� to find you in the Dreamscape. And I'm not really through them, just tapping on them enough to establish contact. Not that I couldn't have broken through, you understand. You've got power, but you're untrained. I can help you with that, if you'd like."
"What's in it for you?"
"I need partners. And you need a new Fenrir. You lost your old one, after all. I understand you've been looking for him?"
"Word's getting around, I see. He ran out on us, and we had to leave Jormungandr behind. I need Fenrir's help to break Jorm out of Galatap."
"He's been seen in St. Louis, but word on the street is that the Bureau found out you were looking and warned off the gangs. They were eager enough to assist you when they thought it was safe, but no one wants to have the masks looking for them without having a few of their own to run interference." He shrugged. "Can't blame them too much. I saw the souvenir that they left the Hellhounds. Ten foot of brass rail twisted into a pretzel. Haze said the raccoon didn't even look like she was paying attention when she did it."
"That's probably why we haven't heard back from any of them. I should probably ask for my retainers back."
"Or give them another task to work it off. You're not going to get Fenrir back. He's hanging around with that raccoon when he's been seen in public, and if she hasn't bedded him yet, it's only because he's still too naive to know what to do with her. But he's been acting smarter recently - whatever you were doing to keep him compliant is wearing off. So... I'm applying for the position."
"You want to be Fenrir? Take Benny down and you can have his title. If you can do that, you'll be able to handle his job for the breakout."
"Agreed. I'll do that, and I'll meet you in Ridgecrest one week later. It'll be in the news so you'll know when."
"Ridgecrest...?"
"Little town in California. Not that far from Galatap."
"Deal."
* * * * * *
"All set, Ben?"
The big wolf nodded. "Ready to go. Got my stuff packed, got my phone an' my Bureau comm --"
"And your toothbrush?"
"Yeah, got my toothbrush, too."
"Last chance to back out."
He shook his head. "Nope, gonna do it. Stop tryin' to scare me. That's your dad's job anyway, isn't it?"
Ferric grinned. "Nah, Dad's a softie. Mom's the scary one." She punched in her parent's number while Fenrir called Vortex. "Hi, Mom! All clear?"
"All set, dear. We've been looking forward to this visit. Tell your friend Vortex nobody's around but us Yeagers."
"That is a *very* bad habit, Mom. You're supposed to forget that name and just be the Johnsons now." She nodded to Fenrir, who picked up his phone..
"We're all ready to go, Vortex. Set it up."
"You got it." In front of the pickup, the circle opened , showing a farmyard in upper Michigan instead of the underground parking bay of the Bureau's St. Louis headquarters. Ferric carefully edged the truck forward through the ring. "And... feels like you're through."
Ferric checked her mirrors. "Confirmed. Thanks for the jump!"
"Always a pleasure, Ferric. Talk to ya Sunday evening."
"Roger that." The circle vanished behind them and the phones cut off, no longer able to access the links they'd been using. She swung the truck out of the main yard and into a parking spot near the house. "And here we are." She touched a hidden switch and a whirring sound indicated the license plates were switching. "Welcome to Garnet, Michigan."
Ben got out of the truck, stretched, and inhaled deeply, then broke into a big smile. "I think I like it already. Reminds me of when I was still a kid."
Ferric nodded. "You do get used to the smell. I felt the same way when we first reached Harzdell. Poor Endopossum just about gagged on it." They were still chuckling when the rest of the family joined them and she got buried in hugs.
Betty was, as usual, the first to change the subject. "Are ya gonna introduce us?"
"I will if you give me a chance. Everyone? This is Ben. Fellow superhero, reformed villain, and a good friend of mine."
Her mother couldn't resist. "I know I ask this a lot, but... is *he* your boyfriend?"
Ferric stuck her tongue out. "We're exploring that. But for the first time ever, it isn't a ridiculous question. He's got similar powers to mine, so yes, I can actually hug him properly without breaking half his ribs. I think I'm stronger, but he's even tougher than I am." She settled into proper introductions. "Ben, this is most of my family. My parents, Tom and Molly, my kid sister Betty, my little brother Robert--"
"I'm not *that* little any more, Sally!"
"Well, you're still certainly a big pain." He grumbled while Betty laughed at him. "And my second-oldest brother Kevin, his wife Mary, and..." She smiled at the baby and held a finger up for her to grab. "And this must be Patricia. Hey there, kiddo. I'm your Aunt Sally." Pat stared at the finger and then up at her aunt, wide-eyed and curious. "Nothing to say?"
The baby made a 'bluh' sound and stuck out her tongue. Mary chuckled. "I guess she isn't easy to impress."
"Just as well." She turned to see Ben staring at the baby, wide-eyed and looking like he was afraid to breathe. "Ben?"
"It's been so long since I've been close to a pup. Not since the circus days. She's so tiny..."
"Compared to us, Benny, *everything's* tiny. Tommy is somewhere in the Pacific at the moment, and Barbara's off at Drexel, so you'll have to meet them later."
Ben had gone down on one knee to stare at young Patricia, who was staring back at him, even more fascinated than she'd been with her aunt. Mary smiled at him. "I don't think she's ever met a wolf before. Would you like to hold her?"
"Oh, I couldn't..."
"Nonsense. You could hold her in one hand if you had to. Just like this, and support her head." Ben found himself holding Pat before he could properly refuse. "See? You're a natural at it."
The big fellow actually whined in the back of his throat. "I'm not a natural. I'm afraid to move."
"Remember what Nakato-sensei always says. Focus, and move in harmony." Sally laid an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "And don't forget to breathe."
"She's just so delicate..." He paused as the little one reached up to grab at his shirt. "An'... an' she *trusts* me."
"We all do, Ben. You were never a villain at heart. Why do you think Loki had to lie to you so much to keep you working for him?"
Molly nodded to her husband. "Told you so. Sally wouldn't be fooled that easily." The tableau held for a good five minutes, Ben screwing up his courage to make encouraging noises at the little kit in his arms until she decided to fuss to be fed. Ben was half-reluctant and half-relieved to hand her back to her mother, and Molly smiled at him. "And now that you've met us all, let's give you the nickel tour. Sally tells me you grew up on a farm, too?"
"Yeah. It was a long time ago, though. Sally's pretty sure it was back just before the Civil War..."
* * * * * *
Sally and her mother lingered over breakfast while Ben helped Kevin and Tom with the morning chores the next day. "He's certainly built to your scale, dear. But do you really have all that much in common otherwise?"
Sally snorted. "All these years you've been trying to matchmake for me and now you're advising caution?"
"You've got your Orterrans to think about now, too. Your kids will eventually take over for you, won't they?"
"Probably. I'm working on changing things, but it'll be feudal for a while yet. But I *am* going to convince them to knock it off with the bigotry, and having mixed kids myself will certainly send that message."
"I wasn't thinking about that. He's good with kids, but he's not the sharpest fellow around. You'll need smart kids if they're going to inherit a job as rulers."
Sally nodded. "I know. I'm more worried about his longevity. It took him over a century to finish growing up, and if his kids are the same, I have no idea if I'll last long enough to make sure they're ready for the job. But..." She sipped her coffee while she put her thoughts in order.
'Her mother quirked an eyebrow at her. "But?"
"But he *is* growing up, and since I've gotten him away from Ragnarok, he's been improving quickly. I think Loki was doing something to make him easier to control - that one does have some ability with magic - but he broke out of it and now he's recovering. Give it a year or two, and we'll see how he's doing. He's already showing a lot more initiative than he was at first, and he's had some good ideas both as a member of the Bureau and for his new identity." She grinned. "We'll be wearing those disguises if we leave the farm, but if we don't go anywhere this weekend, we'll still show them off before we leave."
"You do make a good mare, dear."
"And Techrat has given him a stallion disguise, so we match that way."
Molly waited until she was drinking again before asking, "So how is he in bed?"
Sally sprayed coffee over half the table. "Moooom! Honestly, do you do that sort of thing on *purpose* to embarrass your kids?"
"Only my daughters. It's shock therapy. By the time you give birth, you have to be completely unembarrassable. And you haven't answered my question."
"We haven't... been intimate yet."
"No?"
"No. He's not ready for it, quite. As I said, he had a very long childhood, and Loki was deliberately keeping him suppressed for a while. We've talked about it, though, and when he *is* ready, I'll be there for him. He's a farm kid, too, so he knows how it works, in a clinical fashion."
"That does make the first time a lot simpler. Did I ever tell you about my first--?"
"LA LA LA LA LA LA I am not listening to this!" Sally stormed out of the kitchen with her hands over her ears, blushing furiously.
Molly shook her head as the door slammed shut behind her. "Girl's got a ways to go yet before she's ready for her firstborn..."
* * * * * *
Kevin and Ben pitched hay onto the feed floor while Tom checked the milking machines. "So what exactly happened when she met you, Ben? She's been pretty vague about the whole thing, aside from insisting that you saved her when she was outnumbered."
Ben shook his head. "Don' like to think about it. An' I wasn't there for the start of the fight, so I don't know all of what happened, neither. But if you really wanna know?"
"Wouldn't have asked if we didn't."
"Well...� we'd had to split up. Loki, Hela, an' Sutr were off doin' somethin' without the rest of us, an' Hati and Skoll decided to stop at a little town to get gas an' food an' stuff. They sent me off with Nilbogg to fetch groceries, an' when I got back, she was fightin' them an' Garm, an' Jorm was already down. Do you know anythin' about Ragnarok?"
Kevin nodded. "We didn't then, but I've looked them up since. Hati and Skoll are the twins with the fire and ice powers?"
"Yeah. Jorm's the snake with the poison breath, an' Garm can armor up an' make blades and things with his bones."
"And Nilbogg's the one with the disintegration power."
"Yeah. Thing is, Sally was winnin' when Nils an' I got back, so I was tryin' to stop her from finishin' 'em all. That's when we found out somethin' bad. See, Nilbogg's power doesn't affect anythin' livin'. He's great at takin' out guns an' police cars an' vault doors, but he can't do much to other supers. Except he *could* hurt Sally. Surprised all of us, an' he turned the fight around. Knocked her out, an' Hati was tryin' to figure out how to get away after she'd broken the bus we were usin', an' Nils went a bit nuts. She started wakin' up, an' he wanted me to hold her while he hurt her again, just 'cause he could. An' I decided I just couldn't let him do that."
Tom nodded. "Well, we're all grateful for that. That's when you decided to change sides?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner, but Loki could always talk me into stayin' when I got upset with them."
Kevin shook his head. "We're not mad at you for that. It's a good thing you waited that long. If you'd left earlier, you wouldn't have been around to save her, would you?"
Ben brightened up at that idea. "That's right! Hadn't thought of that. Anyway, I made Nilbogg stop, an' they left me an' Jorm behind, me 'cause I was mad at them an' Jorm 'cause he was hurt too bad to ride a cycle. An' I gave Sally my jacket an' we had a long talk, an' she convinced me that I could be a good guy again after all. And when the rest showed up, she told 'em what happened, and..." He shrugged. "And now I'm learnin' to be a hero."
Kevin picked up on that. "You gave her your jacket?"
"Yeah, kinda had to, 'cause Nilbogg's power is pretty rough on clothing. She... umm... I..." Ben blushed and stared at his feet and muttered, "I wasn't supposed to tell you that part."
Tom chuckled. "Not the first time her clothing didn't make it through a fight, Ben. We were *there* the first time it happened."
Kevin nodded. "And your first thought was to help her cover up. We won't snitch on you."
Ben exhaled, relieved at their acceptance. "Thanks." He looked around. "Please don't tell her I toldja that."
"We won't. Are you really as old as she says you are?"
"I think so. She's shown me pictures of the Civil War, and it matches what I remember. Pa's uniform, the trains... it's been a long time, though. I can't even remember what my last name was. I remember that I'm Benny, but not Ma's real name any more."
Tom nodded. "Well, you're a hard worker, and you do seem to know something about farms. If you need a family, you're welcome here. You saved my little girl's life, so you're entitled to be a brother, at the very least. And if you two want more than that, you've certainly gotten off on the right foot. *Have* you asked her out yet?"
Ben nodded, still a bit embarrassed. "Yeah. Couple times. And sometimes she asks me. I'm just worried she'll get tired of me not bein' smart like she is. Doctor Lily and Jay and Blaze all tell me she won't, but she knows so much stuff already... She says I'm gettin' smarter and can catch up, but I dunno how."
"There's a lot more to be said for common sense and doing the right thing than for book-smarts, Ben. I think she knows that. You just keep doing the right thing, and you'll be fine."
"Thank you, sir. That means a lot."
All three of them looked up as the kitchen door banged open and Sally stormed out, heading across the yard and toward the woodlot trail. Tom shook his head. "Looks like Molly managed to get under her skin again. Ben, why don't you follow her and see if you can calm her down. We'll finish up here."
"But it's not done yet..."
"We're already half an hour ahead of schedule since you've been helping. We'll be fine."
"Yessir." He headed off in Sally's wake.
* * * * * *
He caught up to her at the edge of the woodlot, "Is everythin' okay?"
"Oh, hey, Ben. Yeah, I'm fine. Mom's just being a pill." His look of confusion was evident, and she expanded on her comment. "She's always doing her best to make me blush, and she nearly always manages it. At least I know she approves of you."
"Do I wanna know how that goes together?"
"Probably not. But I should tell you anyway, so she doesn't blindside you with it at dinner or something. And then we can practice looking at each other and not blushing when we think of it."
"I'm not good at that not blushin' part."
"I know. And Mom's a challenge. She didn't ask *if* we were sleeping together, she just assumed it and asked how good you were at it."
"Huh?"
"She wants you to be my bull." Ben, predictably, blushed. "Yeah, I know. Someday, probably. But there's no rush."
"Your pa asked if we'd had any dates. And he wanted to hear my side of how we met in that first fight. I think he likes me. Said I was part of the family now whether we dated or not."
"Dad's a lot easier to get along with than Mom, some ways. As long as you work hard, anyhow. At least he doesn't try to embarrass me on purpose." She grinned. "Ah, well. It keeps me humble, I guess. She's always been there for me when I really needed her. It's just that in between times, she's got this really weird way of trying to keep me on my toes."
The immediate crisis over, Ben took a moment to look around. "This is nice. You have your own trees."
"I wish they hadn't had to hide when my identity was discovered. It's a good farm, but the one we had in Pennsylvania was prettier. The woodlot there was on a mountain slope and you had a gorgeous view." She sighed. "Maybe someday I can visit it again."
Ben squeezed her shoulder as she leaned into him. "I know exactly what you mean. I don't even know where my parent's farm *was* any more."
She hugged him back. "That's right. You're in the same boat, aren't you? Well, we'll just have to go on together and make our own place. We'll see if you can come to Orterra with me this summer."
"Isn't that the place where you're a knight?"
She grinned and poked him in the ribs. "Yep. If we're going to get serious, you'll have to come with me eventually. So why not right away? You can see what you'd be getting into. Harzdell is all farms, at least so far, and no computers. You'll love it."
"I'll think about it. I dunno if I can get a vacation already, though."
"Oh, right. That's a good point. Sooner or later, though. For now... We should probably do a drill. Gotta keep in practice with martial arts, or you'll get rusty."
"This isn't a dojo."
"The ground's soft enough. And it's not like *we* need mats. We leave dents in *concrete*. There's no telling where you'll be when you need to do it for real, after all."
He grinned. "Okay, then. Let's see if I can stop you from hittin' me today."
* * * * * *
Tom Jenkins was getting old for a National Park Ranger, and that meant that he found his current posting congenial. Gateway Arch National Park was by far the smallest of them all, which meant that his patrol was a leisurely stroll up and down the St. Louis waterfront a few times per day, and that protecting the park visitors from unruly wildlife (or vice versa) was generally a matter of asking them not to feed the pigeons.
Of course, there was the occasional tourist who got a bit more creative. The old whitetail buck sighed as he rounded the corner to see a white wolf stepping out of his clothing. "Sir, it's against park rules to swim in the reflecting pool." He picked up his pace to intercept the fellow before he could dive in. And then the wolf, already a big fellow, started *growing* right in front of him, the red fur markings glowing as he surged up to double his original height.
"Begone, mortal. This does not concern you." He snapped a piece of stone in half in his left paw, and his voice rang out over the entire area. "FENRIR! I KNOW YOU ARE HERE! FACE ME NOW, FALSE ONE!"
Tom just stared. "Right. I'll go start the evacuation, then, shall I?" He started back the way he'd come, turning curious tourists back while he radioed the rest of the staff to warn them what was happening. "Get everyone out, especially out of the Arch itself. We've got a supers fight brewing."
Ferric and Fenrir had been having a leisurely spring afternoon stroll as Sandy and Leonard when that amplified voice rang out. Ferric just raised an eyebrow. "Anyone you know?"
"Don't think so. What am I gonna do?"
"I think you know. Go deal with him. I'll go make sure they're evacuating the park, and join you as soon as I can." She glanced around, and pointed to a sheltered spot behind the visitor center. "Back there, we can switch off our imagers while we're out of sight."
They emerged a few seconds later as Ferric and Fenrir. "Remember what Nakata-sensei has been teaching you. Don't let him fluster you, and don't let him just hit you. He might be strong enough to move you, whoever it is." She slapped him on the back. "He wants you, so go keep him occupied while I make sure the visitors are safe. If Loki sent him, he won't be expecting you to know aikido, and that'll give you an advantage."
Ben nodded, his resolve firming up. "Right. Right. I'm a hero now, I'm going to go stop him. Thanks, Sally. I'm gonna make you proud of me."
She smiled. "Already am, Benny. Let's go!"
Ben headed in the direction of the amplified announcement, and stopped short as he came into view. The other wolf had grown to a good five meters tall and was brandishing a snapped-off street sign as a club. The red markings on his fur were vividly fluorescent. "There you are. Still pretending to be part of Ragnarok?"
"Nope. It's biker gear, and I've got a different rune now. Who are *you*?"
"I am Runtjuv, scion of the Jotunn. And I am here to demonstrate my fitness for the name Fenrir."
"Runty, huh? Is that like one of those backwards things 'cause really you're tall?"
"It means Runethief, you dolt. The Jotunn gave me that name for my skill with the rune-magics."
Benny nodded, still watching him. "I guess that makes sense. So you're gonna do magic tricks?"
Runtjuv's answering smile was crafty. "If you insist." Another runestone was activated, and lightning speared down to blast Benny where he stood. "Loki said you were mostly impervious to physical force. Let's see how you fare against the elements themselves."
Ben grinned, unaffected by the blast. "That kinda tickled. I'm pretty immune to everythin', actually. What else ya got?"
Runtjuv's eyes narrowed. "So you are not as unworthy a usurper as I suspected. This may be interesting after all." He swung his makeshift mace, only to miss as Ben stepped back. "Stand and fight!"
"Not gonna just stand there and let you hit me. That'd be dumb." He moved forward again in the wake of the swing and readied himself for the next blow.
Runtjuv's next strike was a hammer blow from above, which to his annoyance somehow turned into a glancing blow that just slid off and impacted the ground. He barely pulled back before the smaller wolf could grab his makeshift weapon. He followed up with repeated attacks, only to grow more and more frustrated as Benny continued to dodge, block, or deflect every blow. The few strikes that got through didn't seem to have much effect, and Runtjuv was starting to go from frustration to anger. "Are you trying to mock me? Fight me! Don't just ignore me!"
"I'm not ignorin' you. I'm just lettin' you get tired. I don't wanna hurt anyone, not even you if I don't have to."
"You *are* mocking me!" Runtjuv dropped what was left of the signpost and charged. Benny stood his ground until the last moment, then pivoted and launched him into the pool. He came up sputtering and furious, and charged again. This time he smashed into the crown of a tree, breaking several branches on the way through and landing on the far side.
Benny trotted up while he was getting back on his feet. "Are we done yet?"
Runtjuv frowned. "You're not supposed to be this skilled in battle."
"Didn't used to be. I've been learnin'."
"Loki underestimated you."
"Loki *lied* to me a lot. He's probably lyin' to you, too."
Runtjuv grinned, a rather feral expression. "Oh, I'm sure he is. But I allow for that. Sheer force doesn't work, brute strength doesn't either. So..." He pulled another runestone out of his pouch. "Otti!"
"What..." Ben's eyes widened as the rune-spell took effect, and he whimpered, unable to suppress his first reaction.
Runtjuv nodded, his feral grin becoming a smirk. "*That* touches you. Your mind is not as strong as your body. Fear. Raw and primal fear." His fist lashed out, and Ben was barely able to react to it, his head snapping back from the blow. "What do you fear, I wonder? Losing your power?" He struck again, this time with multiple blows, and Ben was rocked back, not truly hurt by them, but knocked off balance. "Or is it something more subtle? Fear of being abandoned, of being alone?"
"You... you're doin' magic.It's lyin' to me, just like Loki always did."
"Is it? You've made yourself out as a hero to your new friends. Are you afraid they'll find out you're lying?"
"I'm... not... lyin'..." Another flurry of punches knocked him down.
"No? Then perhaps you're simply afraid you'll fail at it. After all, you failed Loki."
"Didn't fail. Quit..." He managed to roll out of the way of a kick.
"You quit because of a pretty face." He grinned again. "Perhaps you're afraid that she's just pretending to like you. What could she possibly see in you, after all?" He laughed as Ben flinched. "Oh, that one struck a nerve, didn't it?"
Ben shook his head, trying to clear it from the magic. "Don't care. Still... still gonna try." He slowly got to his feet. "Even if *she's* pretendin', they can't *all* be lyin' to me. Gonna make them proud of me, no matter what." This time, he managed to block Runtjuv's punches.
"Are you? Maybe I'll let you live long enough to try, so you can see for yourself. They're no better than --" His gloating was interrupted by the arrival of a telephone pole moving at fifty miles per hour in a flat trajectory.
Ben's face lit up. "Ferric!"
She waved as she finished running back to where the two giants were fighting. "Yep. Evacuation's well underway. Let's finish this off. Are you all right?"
"Will be. He's usin' magic to get into my head and scare me."
"Looks like you're fighting it off. Shall we finish the job?"
Ben nodded. "Let's."
Runtjuv staggered back to his feet. "Two against one? Are you going to let her fight your battles while you hide behind her skirts, weakling?"
"Nah. She don't wear skirts." Ferric snickered as Runtjuv's insult bounced off of Ben's literal interpretation. "An'..." His face cleared as he realized something. "An' it's not *my* fight. It's *ours.* We're fightin' to keep people safe, no matter what *you* say it's about." He moved left, Ferric moved right, and Runtjuv fell back to avoid being outflanked. "You wanna be Fenrir, you can have it. Ain't my real name anyway, it's what Loki called me. I'll pick a new one." He feigned a blow, Runtjuv moved to block it, and Ferric smacked him in the knee with her quarterstaff. "Two against one means we can do teamwork. Ragnarok mostly had trouble with that."
Runtjuv roared, partly in anger but mostly in pain. "Bitch! You dare raise your hand against one of the Jotunn?"
"In a New York minute, Fluffy." Her eyes narrowed as he reached into the pouch at his side and pulled out a runestone.
"Kvol!" Arcane energies crackled around Ferric for a few seconds before fading.
She merely raised an eyebrow. "I don't think your magic works on me. Gonna give up now, or do we have to get serious?"
Runtjuv's eyes were wide. "You should be writhing in agony from that..."
"Is that what it was supposed to do? Sorry." She took a step forward, eyeing the pouch. "That's where you keep your spell components, isn't it? How good are you without them?"
Ben grinned as the fear spell wore off. "He couldn't even touch me without magic. You were right, aikido is perfect for me."
Runtjuv backed off a few steps, nursing his ribs and knee. "Then I shall take your name and my leave, if you will not fight me alone." One last spell and he vanished with a thunderclap. Ferric's staff whistled through the empty space a moment later.
Ben looked around rapidly, trying to spot movement or footprints. "Did he turn invisible?"
Ferric shook her head. "Teleported, I'm pretty sure. The noise is diagnostic. And if he'd still been standing there invisible, I would have knocked him outta the park." She pulled out her communicator and called up the park ranger's frequency. "Threat is over, criminal super has fled. You can stand down the evacuation order."
"Roger that. Thanks, both of you."
"Just doing our jobs, but you're welcome. Thanks for letting me borrow that spare pole." She smiled up at her partner. "You did great, Ben. Kept him busy while we got the civilians away, and then we drove him off as a team. So... are you serious about giving up 'Fenrir'?"
He nodded. "Yep. He was right. That's a villain name now, 'cause of Loki. I'll pick somethin' better. How about Guardian?"
Ferric thought about it. "Pretty sure that's already in use. Let's get back to base and file the paperwork, and we'll come up with something you like. So who was that guy?"
"He said he was Roon-toov, and somethin' about the Yotoon? And he wanted to be the new Fenrir. I think Loki put him up to it..."
* * * * * *
Ferric was finalizing the new database entry with Ben's help. "And... powers. Growth, strength, invulnerability. Magic using runestones. Known effects: Lightning, fear projection, teleportation. Recovered stone was single-use, broken when used. Analysis indicates that the runes used are written in blood. Unknown at this time whether it is his own blood or someone else's." She paused. "Can you think of anything else?"
Ben thought about it, then shook his head. "I think that's everything we found out."
Ferric nodded and saved the entry. "And done." She smiled at her partner. "You did very well for your first real action on our side. Better than I did, I'd say."
"Really?"
"Really. You didn't make any serious mistakes like I did."
"But he got away!"
"So did a bunch of mine, and I was only up against normals. So... I was right, there already is a Guardian. And there was a Shield, though he's retired now. But if you want to keep the Norse theme, we could give you that name in Old Norse or Icelandic."
"What would that be?"
"Well, let's see." A few keystrokes called up a translation program. "Shield is Skjoldr."
Ben stumbled over it. "I don't think I can say that."
"Well, you can't have a name you can't pronounce. Oh, how about this? Verndarri."
He mulled that over. "Yeah, I can say that. What does it mean?"
"Protector. Just like your runes for protection."
His face lit up. "Perfect!"
"Verndarri it is. What say we go out tonight and celebrate at Riverside?"
"Okay, but it's my turn to buy."
"I'd agree, but you're the reason we're celebrating. We can invite Dealanach and Blaze along, give you a proper--" She paused. "Or not. Something's bothering you. You want to talk about it?"
He sighed. "Not really, but I think I prob'ly should. You've told me stuff, an' I think you can help." He paused, while Ferric waited patiently. "It's what happened when he hit me with that fear thing. He kept talkin', pokin' me about it."
"Trying to figure out what you were actually afraid of?"
"Yeah, that's it. An'... an' I think he figured it out. Loki got me to play along with him by pretendin' to be my friend. An' part of me is still worried you might be doin' the same thing. I'm pretty sure you're not, but thinkin' isn't somethin' I'm good at an' I can't get the feelin' part of me to believe it. Specially after that spell was messin' with my head like that."
Ferric shook her head. "And I can protest all day that we're telling you the truth, but that's something you've heard before, isn't it?"
He nodded. "Yeah. An' Loki was *good* at making you believe stuff even when you knew deep down he was lyin'." He shook his head as she started to reply. "No, no. Not done yet." Ferric shut her mouth and waited for him to continue. "I told him... it didn't matter. Whether or not any of you really like me, I'm doin' good stuff for people now. Keepin' them safe. Makin' them happy, like back in the circus days." He paused again, made a decision and went ahead. "An'... an' I decided that's good enough. For the first time in ages, I'm feelin' good about what I'm doin' with myself. So if you are pretendin', you don't have to any more, I don't mi--" His voice shifted, suddenly alarmed. "Sally, you're bleedin'! Don't move, I'll get Lily right away--"
She held him down as he tried to stand up. "Doof. I bleed oil, remember? Red is when I'm crying." She sniffled, grinning through rust-laden tears. "Remember what I said about thinking slowly but getting it right?"
"Yeah...?"
"You're doing it again. Every time they try to treat you like a child, you grow up some more. You want to do the right thing *because* it's the right thing, not just because it makes people like you. And you know what?"
"Umm...?"
"It makes us like you *more* that you're doing it for yourself. You really *are* my hero, and I'm not just your friend any more. I'm falling in love with you."
"With *me*?"
'With you. Don't act so surprised. You're brave, noble, and gentle for all your strength. A girl could do a lot worse."
"But--"
"Don't say it. Don't even *think* it. You're not stupid, you've just spent a longer time than most as a child. But you're not a child any more, and you've learned wisdom over all those years, even if you're not book-smart."
"You really think so?"
"You keep proving it. No wonder Loki tried to keep you suppressed..."
Ben grumbled. "I may have to pound on him after all."
"Heh. I can't be too mad at him. If you'd broken away earlier, I'd have still been a little kid and we might never have met. So, just us tonight, or a foursome?"
"I... dunno."
"I think we should invite them. You need to tell them what you told me. And then we'll go back to your place, and I'm gonna sleep curled up in your arms tonight."
"What??"
"You don't have to do anything more than that if you're not ready for it yet. But I can't think of any better way to show you that I really *do* like you. And trust you."
"You don't hafta do that! Honest, I believe you!"
"But I *want* to." She blushed. "Mom was right. I do want you to be my bull, as soon as you're interested."
"You're gonna insist, aren't you?"
"Yep."
He sighed. "Okay. But you're gonna let me buy you dinner this time, then."
"Fair enough." She picked up her phone and dialed. "Blaze? Ferric. What are you and Deal doing for dinner tonight...?"
The End
-----------------------------------------
"Thanks for comin' along with me, Sally."
"I'm not going to miss your first day of work. Besides, I like trains, even if it's just to commute."
"It's nice that both my apartment and the Zoo are right near train stops."
Ferric grinned. "Well, the Zoo needs a stop so people can get there easily. The apartment... isn't a coincidence."
"I was wonderin' about that."
"The Bureau doesn't leave a lot to chance when they can help it. You have everything you're going to need?"
"I think so. Railpass, wallet, keys, phone, Zoo ID, and my lunch. Am I missing anything?"
"A kiss for luck?" Ferric leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Fenrir blushed. "But I got that now, too."
"Then let's go. Imagers on. And remember --"
"Sandy Hunter and Lenny Jackson when we're horses, yep."
They walked down to the Sunnen Blue Line Station together, a pair of oversized horses to the eyes of other pedestrians. The train made its way down the tracks while Ferric pointed out features at each stop. "Clayton is where I live. Two more stops is Washington University, and two past that is Forest Park, that's where the Zoo is."
"That's your university, right?"
"Right. Only two stops down from the Zoo. I'll buy a season pass and meet you there when our schedules match up, okay?"
He smiled. "Sure thing!"
"But I'm still not gonna buy lunch there very often. Honestly, they're worse than movie theater prices."
"The employee cafeteria is a lot cheaper. I'll see if you can eat there with me? If you'd like to?"
She nodded. "I'd like that. See if you can have a guest eat with you. If not, I'll just bring my own lunch and we'll meet somewhere."
"All right! That'll be fun."
"But not today. Today I'm going to have to drop you off and then get back to school. I've got a one p.m. heat and fluids lab."
He looked downcast at that statement. "I dunno what that is. I'm sorry--"
She poked him in the ribs before he could start denigrating himself. "Don't be. Pretty sure only Fixer and Dark Starr know what that is out of everyone on base. And neither do most other folks. It's not something most people have studied."
"You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"Nope, on my honor. Go ahead, ask your co-workers today if they know what the Bernoulli Equation is."
"Burr-nelly?"
"Yep. I've got a t-shirt with it, I'll wear it tomorrow. You're not dumb for not knowing that."
"If you say so. But I *am* gonna ask. You don't have to lie to me, I know I'm not smart."
"Maybe not yet. But I think you're going to get there. So I don't want to hear you put yourself down, either, okay?"
"You really think so?"
"Absolutely. Right now? You think slowly, but you get it *right* when you get there. A lot of people think faster, and then get it wrong. I prefer your version."
"Awww..." He blushed again.
"Think about it. Loki acts smart, and he thinks fast, but...?" They rode in companionable silence for a while. "And that's our stop coming up. Let's get to the door."
* * * * * *
"You're not easy to find, Loki."
The fox started, suddenly... awake? No, he wasn't actually awake, was he? He should be sleeping in a cheap motel somewhere in Kansas, not by a campfire in a pine forest with a white wolf. He reached for his pistol, and his hand closed on a spear instead. "I'm actually impressed. How did you get through my wards?"
"By using a rather messy bit of *seidr* - trance magic -� to find you in the Dreamscape. And I'm not really through them, just tapping on them enough to establish contact. Not that I couldn't have broken through, you understand. You've got power, but you're untrained. I can help you with that, if you'd like."
"What's in it for you?"
"I need partners. And you need a new Fenrir. You lost your old one, after all. I understand you've been looking for him?"
"Word's getting around, I see. He ran out on us, and we had to leave Jormungandr behind. I need Fenrir's help to break Jorm out of Galatap."
"He's been seen in St. Louis, but word on the street is that the Bureau found out you were looking and warned off the gangs. They were eager enough to assist you when they thought it was safe, but no one wants to have the masks looking for them without having a few of their own to run interference." He shrugged. "Can't blame them too much. I saw the souvenir that they left the Hellhounds. Ten foot of brass rail twisted into a pretzel. Haze said the raccoon didn't even look like she was paying attention when she did it."
"That's probably why we haven't heard back from any of them. I should probably ask for my retainers back."
"Or give them another task to work it off. You're not going to get Fenrir back. He's hanging around with that raccoon when he's been seen in public, and if she hasn't bedded him yet, it's only because he's still too naive to know what to do with her. But he's been acting smarter recently - whatever you were doing to keep him compliant is wearing off. So... I'm applying for the position."
"You want to be Fenrir? Take Benny down and you can have his title. If you can do that, you'll be able to handle his job for the breakout."
"Agreed. I'll do that, and I'll meet you in Ridgecrest one week later. It'll be in the news so you'll know when."
"Ridgecrest...?"
"Little town in California. Not that far from Galatap."
"Deal."
* * * * * *
"All set, Ben?"
The big wolf nodded. "Ready to go. Got my stuff packed, got my phone an' my Bureau comm --"
"And your toothbrush?"
"Yeah, got my toothbrush, too."
"Last chance to back out."
He shook his head. "Nope, gonna do it. Stop tryin' to scare me. That's your dad's job anyway, isn't it?"
Ferric grinned. "Nah, Dad's a softie. Mom's the scary one." She punched in her parent's number while Fenrir called Vortex. "Hi, Mom! All clear?"
"All set, dear. We've been looking forward to this visit. Tell your friend Vortex nobody's around but us Yeagers."
"That is a *very* bad habit, Mom. You're supposed to forget that name and just be the Johnsons now." She nodded to Fenrir, who picked up his phone..
"We're all ready to go, Vortex. Set it up."
"You got it." In front of the pickup, the circle opened , showing a farmyard in upper Michigan instead of the underground parking bay of the Bureau's St. Louis headquarters. Ferric carefully edged the truck forward through the ring. "And... feels like you're through."
Ferric checked her mirrors. "Confirmed. Thanks for the jump!"
"Always a pleasure, Ferric. Talk to ya Sunday evening."
"Roger that." The circle vanished behind them and the phones cut off, no longer able to access the links they'd been using. She swung the truck out of the main yard and into a parking spot near the house. "And here we are." She touched a hidden switch and a whirring sound indicated the license plates were switching. "Welcome to Garnet, Michigan."
Ben got out of the truck, stretched, and inhaled deeply, then broke into a big smile. "I think I like it already. Reminds me of when I was still a kid."
Ferric nodded. "You do get used to the smell. I felt the same way when we first reached Harzdell. Poor Endopossum just about gagged on it." They were still chuckling when the rest of the family joined them and she got buried in hugs.
Betty was, as usual, the first to change the subject. "Are ya gonna introduce us?"
"I will if you give me a chance. Everyone? This is Ben. Fellow superhero, reformed villain, and a good friend of mine."
Her mother couldn't resist. "I know I ask this a lot, but... is *he* your boyfriend?"
Ferric stuck her tongue out. "We're exploring that. But for the first time ever, it isn't a ridiculous question. He's got similar powers to mine, so yes, I can actually hug him properly without breaking half his ribs. I think I'm stronger, but he's even tougher than I am." She settled into proper introductions. "Ben, this is most of my family. My parents, Tom and Molly, my kid sister Betty, my little brother Robert--"
"I'm not *that* little any more, Sally!"
"Well, you're still certainly a big pain." He grumbled while Betty laughed at him. "And my second-oldest brother Kevin, his wife Mary, and..." She smiled at the baby and held a finger up for her to grab. "And this must be Patricia. Hey there, kiddo. I'm your Aunt Sally." Pat stared at the finger and then up at her aunt, wide-eyed and curious. "Nothing to say?"
The baby made a 'bluh' sound and stuck out her tongue. Mary chuckled. "I guess she isn't easy to impress."
"Just as well." She turned to see Ben staring at the baby, wide-eyed and looking like he was afraid to breathe. "Ben?"
"It's been so long since I've been close to a pup. Not since the circus days. She's so tiny..."
"Compared to us, Benny, *everything's* tiny. Tommy is somewhere in the Pacific at the moment, and Barbara's off at Drexel, so you'll have to meet them later."
Ben had gone down on one knee to stare at young Patricia, who was staring back at him, even more fascinated than she'd been with her aunt. Mary smiled at him. "I don't think she's ever met a wolf before. Would you like to hold her?"
"Oh, I couldn't..."
"Nonsense. You could hold her in one hand if you had to. Just like this, and support her head." Ben found himself holding Pat before he could properly refuse. "See? You're a natural at it."
The big fellow actually whined in the back of his throat. "I'm not a natural. I'm afraid to move."
"Remember what Nakato-sensei always says. Focus, and move in harmony." Sally laid an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "And don't forget to breathe."
"She's just so delicate..." He paused as the little one reached up to grab at his shirt. "An'... an' she *trusts* me."
"We all do, Ben. You were never a villain at heart. Why do you think Loki had to lie to you so much to keep you working for him?"
Molly nodded to her husband. "Told you so. Sally wouldn't be fooled that easily." The tableau held for a good five minutes, Ben screwing up his courage to make encouraging noises at the little kit in his arms until she decided to fuss to be fed. Ben was half-reluctant and half-relieved to hand her back to her mother, and Molly smiled at him. "And now that you've met us all, let's give you the nickel tour. Sally tells me you grew up on a farm, too?"
"Yeah. It was a long time ago, though. Sally's pretty sure it was back just before the Civil War..."
* * * * * *
Sally and her mother lingered over breakfast while Ben helped Kevin and Tom with the morning chores the next day. "He's certainly built to your scale, dear. But do you really have all that much in common otherwise?"
Sally snorted. "All these years you've been trying to matchmake for me and now you're advising caution?"
"You've got your Orterrans to think about now, too. Your kids will eventually take over for you, won't they?"
"Probably. I'm working on changing things, but it'll be feudal for a while yet. But I *am* going to convince them to knock it off with the bigotry, and having mixed kids myself will certainly send that message."
"I wasn't thinking about that. He's good with kids, but he's not the sharpest fellow around. You'll need smart kids if they're going to inherit a job as rulers."
Sally nodded. "I know. I'm more worried about his longevity. It took him over a century to finish growing up, and if his kids are the same, I have no idea if I'll last long enough to make sure they're ready for the job. But..." She sipped her coffee while she put her thoughts in order.
'Her mother quirked an eyebrow at her. "But?"
"But he *is* growing up, and since I've gotten him away from Ragnarok, he's been improving quickly. I think Loki was doing something to make him easier to control - that one does have some ability with magic - but he broke out of it and now he's recovering. Give it a year or two, and we'll see how he's doing. He's already showing a lot more initiative than he was at first, and he's had some good ideas both as a member of the Bureau and for his new identity." She grinned. "We'll be wearing those disguises if we leave the farm, but if we don't go anywhere this weekend, we'll still show them off before we leave."
"You do make a good mare, dear."
"And Techrat has given him a stallion disguise, so we match that way."
Molly waited until she was drinking again before asking, "So how is he in bed?"
Sally sprayed coffee over half the table. "Moooom! Honestly, do you do that sort of thing on *purpose* to embarrass your kids?"
"Only my daughters. It's shock therapy. By the time you give birth, you have to be completely unembarrassable. And you haven't answered my question."
"We haven't... been intimate yet."
"No?"
"No. He's not ready for it, quite. As I said, he had a very long childhood, and Loki was deliberately keeping him suppressed for a while. We've talked about it, though, and when he *is* ready, I'll be there for him. He's a farm kid, too, so he knows how it works, in a clinical fashion."
"That does make the first time a lot simpler. Did I ever tell you about my first--?"
"LA LA LA LA LA LA I am not listening to this!" Sally stormed out of the kitchen with her hands over her ears, blushing furiously.
Molly shook her head as the door slammed shut behind her. "Girl's got a ways to go yet before she's ready for her firstborn..."
* * * * * *
Kevin and Ben pitched hay onto the feed floor while Tom checked the milking machines. "So what exactly happened when she met you, Ben? She's been pretty vague about the whole thing, aside from insisting that you saved her when she was outnumbered."
Ben shook his head. "Don' like to think about it. An' I wasn't there for the start of the fight, so I don't know all of what happened, neither. But if you really wanna know?"
"Wouldn't have asked if we didn't."
"Well...� we'd had to split up. Loki, Hela, an' Sutr were off doin' somethin' without the rest of us, an' Hati and Skoll decided to stop at a little town to get gas an' food an' stuff. They sent me off with Nilbogg to fetch groceries, an' when I got back, she was fightin' them an' Garm, an' Jorm was already down. Do you know anythin' about Ragnarok?"
Kevin nodded. "We didn't then, but I've looked them up since. Hati and Skoll are the twins with the fire and ice powers?"
"Yeah. Jorm's the snake with the poison breath, an' Garm can armor up an' make blades and things with his bones."
"And Nilbogg's the one with the disintegration power."
"Yeah. Thing is, Sally was winnin' when Nils an' I got back, so I was tryin' to stop her from finishin' 'em all. That's when we found out somethin' bad. See, Nilbogg's power doesn't affect anythin' livin'. He's great at takin' out guns an' police cars an' vault doors, but he can't do much to other supers. Except he *could* hurt Sally. Surprised all of us, an' he turned the fight around. Knocked her out, an' Hati was tryin' to figure out how to get away after she'd broken the bus we were usin', an' Nils went a bit nuts. She started wakin' up, an' he wanted me to hold her while he hurt her again, just 'cause he could. An' I decided I just couldn't let him do that."
Tom nodded. "Well, we're all grateful for that. That's when you decided to change sides?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner, but Loki could always talk me into stayin' when I got upset with them."
Kevin shook his head. "We're not mad at you for that. It's a good thing you waited that long. If you'd left earlier, you wouldn't have been around to save her, would you?"
Ben brightened up at that idea. "That's right! Hadn't thought of that. Anyway, I made Nilbogg stop, an' they left me an' Jorm behind, me 'cause I was mad at them an' Jorm 'cause he was hurt too bad to ride a cycle. An' I gave Sally my jacket an' we had a long talk, an' she convinced me that I could be a good guy again after all. And when the rest showed up, she told 'em what happened, and..." He shrugged. "And now I'm learnin' to be a hero."
Kevin picked up on that. "You gave her your jacket?"
"Yeah, kinda had to, 'cause Nilbogg's power is pretty rough on clothing. She... umm... I..." Ben blushed and stared at his feet and muttered, "I wasn't supposed to tell you that part."
Tom chuckled. "Not the first time her clothing didn't make it through a fight, Ben. We were *there* the first time it happened."
Kevin nodded. "And your first thought was to help her cover up. We won't snitch on you."
Ben exhaled, relieved at their acceptance. "Thanks." He looked around. "Please don't tell her I toldja that."
"We won't. Are you really as old as she says you are?"
"I think so. She's shown me pictures of the Civil War, and it matches what I remember. Pa's uniform, the trains... it's been a long time, though. I can't even remember what my last name was. I remember that I'm Benny, but not Ma's real name any more."
Tom nodded. "Well, you're a hard worker, and you do seem to know something about farms. If you need a family, you're welcome here. You saved my little girl's life, so you're entitled to be a brother, at the very least. And if you two want more than that, you've certainly gotten off on the right foot. *Have* you asked her out yet?"
Ben nodded, still a bit embarrassed. "Yeah. Couple times. And sometimes she asks me. I'm just worried she'll get tired of me not bein' smart like she is. Doctor Lily and Jay and Blaze all tell me she won't, but she knows so much stuff already... She says I'm gettin' smarter and can catch up, but I dunno how."
"There's a lot more to be said for common sense and doing the right thing than for book-smarts, Ben. I think she knows that. You just keep doing the right thing, and you'll be fine."
"Thank you, sir. That means a lot."
All three of them looked up as the kitchen door banged open and Sally stormed out, heading across the yard and toward the woodlot trail. Tom shook his head. "Looks like Molly managed to get under her skin again. Ben, why don't you follow her and see if you can calm her down. We'll finish up here."
"But it's not done yet..."
"We're already half an hour ahead of schedule since you've been helping. We'll be fine."
"Yessir." He headed off in Sally's wake.
* * * * * *
He caught up to her at the edge of the woodlot, "Is everythin' okay?"
"Oh, hey, Ben. Yeah, I'm fine. Mom's just being a pill." His look of confusion was evident, and she expanded on her comment. "She's always doing her best to make me blush, and she nearly always manages it. At least I know she approves of you."
"Do I wanna know how that goes together?"
"Probably not. But I should tell you anyway, so she doesn't blindside you with it at dinner or something. And then we can practice looking at each other and not blushing when we think of it."
"I'm not good at that not blushin' part."
"I know. And Mom's a challenge. She didn't ask *if* we were sleeping together, she just assumed it and asked how good you were at it."
"Huh?"
"She wants you to be my bull." Ben, predictably, blushed. "Yeah, I know. Someday, probably. But there's no rush."
"Your pa asked if we'd had any dates. And he wanted to hear my side of how we met in that first fight. I think he likes me. Said I was part of the family now whether we dated or not."
"Dad's a lot easier to get along with than Mom, some ways. As long as you work hard, anyhow. At least he doesn't try to embarrass me on purpose." She grinned. "Ah, well. It keeps me humble, I guess. She's always been there for me when I really needed her. It's just that in between times, she's got this really weird way of trying to keep me on my toes."
The immediate crisis over, Ben took a moment to look around. "This is nice. You have your own trees."
"I wish they hadn't had to hide when my identity was discovered. It's a good farm, but the one we had in Pennsylvania was prettier. The woodlot there was on a mountain slope and you had a gorgeous view." She sighed. "Maybe someday I can visit it again."
Ben squeezed her shoulder as she leaned into him. "I know exactly what you mean. I don't even know where my parent's farm *was* any more."
She hugged him back. "That's right. You're in the same boat, aren't you? Well, we'll just have to go on together and make our own place. We'll see if you can come to Orterra with me this summer."
"Isn't that the place where you're a knight?"
She grinned and poked him in the ribs. "Yep. If we're going to get serious, you'll have to come with me eventually. So why not right away? You can see what you'd be getting into. Harzdell is all farms, at least so far, and no computers. You'll love it."
"I'll think about it. I dunno if I can get a vacation already, though."
"Oh, right. That's a good point. Sooner or later, though. For now... We should probably do a drill. Gotta keep in practice with martial arts, or you'll get rusty."
"This isn't a dojo."
"The ground's soft enough. And it's not like *we* need mats. We leave dents in *concrete*. There's no telling where you'll be when you need to do it for real, after all."
He grinned. "Okay, then. Let's see if I can stop you from hittin' me today."
* * * * * *
Tom Jenkins was getting old for a National Park Ranger, and that meant that he found his current posting congenial. Gateway Arch National Park was by far the smallest of them all, which meant that his patrol was a leisurely stroll up and down the St. Louis waterfront a few times per day, and that protecting the park visitors from unruly wildlife (or vice versa) was generally a matter of asking them not to feed the pigeons.
Of course, there was the occasional tourist who got a bit more creative. The old whitetail buck sighed as he rounded the corner to see a white wolf stepping out of his clothing. "Sir, it's against park rules to swim in the reflecting pool." He picked up his pace to intercept the fellow before he could dive in. And then the wolf, already a big fellow, started *growing* right in front of him, the red fur markings glowing as he surged up to double his original height.
"Begone, mortal. This does not concern you." He snapped a piece of stone in half in his left paw, and his voice rang out over the entire area. "FENRIR! I KNOW YOU ARE HERE! FACE ME NOW, FALSE ONE!"
Tom just stared. "Right. I'll go start the evacuation, then, shall I?" He started back the way he'd come, turning curious tourists back while he radioed the rest of the staff to warn them what was happening. "Get everyone out, especially out of the Arch itself. We've got a supers fight brewing."
Ferric and Fenrir had been having a leisurely spring afternoon stroll as Sandy and Leonard when that amplified voice rang out. Ferric just raised an eyebrow. "Anyone you know?"
"Don't think so. What am I gonna do?"
"I think you know. Go deal with him. I'll go make sure they're evacuating the park, and join you as soon as I can." She glanced around, and pointed to a sheltered spot behind the visitor center. "Back there, we can switch off our imagers while we're out of sight."
They emerged a few seconds later as Ferric and Fenrir. "Remember what Nakata-sensei has been teaching you. Don't let him fluster you, and don't let him just hit you. He might be strong enough to move you, whoever it is." She slapped him on the back. "He wants you, so go keep him occupied while I make sure the visitors are safe. If Loki sent him, he won't be expecting you to know aikido, and that'll give you an advantage."
Ben nodded, his resolve firming up. "Right. Right. I'm a hero now, I'm going to go stop him. Thanks, Sally. I'm gonna make you proud of me."
She smiled. "Already am, Benny. Let's go!"
Ben headed in the direction of the amplified announcement, and stopped short as he came into view. The other wolf had grown to a good five meters tall and was brandishing a snapped-off street sign as a club. The red markings on his fur were vividly fluorescent. "There you are. Still pretending to be part of Ragnarok?"
"Nope. It's biker gear, and I've got a different rune now. Who are *you*?"
"I am Runtjuv, scion of the Jotunn. And I am here to demonstrate my fitness for the name Fenrir."
"Runty, huh? Is that like one of those backwards things 'cause really you're tall?"
"It means Runethief, you dolt. The Jotunn gave me that name for my skill with the rune-magics."
Benny nodded, still watching him. "I guess that makes sense. So you're gonna do magic tricks?"
Runtjuv's answering smile was crafty. "If you insist." Another runestone was activated, and lightning speared down to blast Benny where he stood. "Loki said you were mostly impervious to physical force. Let's see how you fare against the elements themselves."
Ben grinned, unaffected by the blast. "That kinda tickled. I'm pretty immune to everythin', actually. What else ya got?"
Runtjuv's eyes narrowed. "So you are not as unworthy a usurper as I suspected. This may be interesting after all." He swung his makeshift mace, only to miss as Ben stepped back. "Stand and fight!"
"Not gonna just stand there and let you hit me. That'd be dumb." He moved forward again in the wake of the swing and readied himself for the next blow.
Runtjuv's next strike was a hammer blow from above, which to his annoyance somehow turned into a glancing blow that just slid off and impacted the ground. He barely pulled back before the smaller wolf could grab his makeshift weapon. He followed up with repeated attacks, only to grow more and more frustrated as Benny continued to dodge, block, or deflect every blow. The few strikes that got through didn't seem to have much effect, and Runtjuv was starting to go from frustration to anger. "Are you trying to mock me? Fight me! Don't just ignore me!"
"I'm not ignorin' you. I'm just lettin' you get tired. I don't wanna hurt anyone, not even you if I don't have to."
"You *are* mocking me!" Runtjuv dropped what was left of the signpost and charged. Benny stood his ground until the last moment, then pivoted and launched him into the pool. He came up sputtering and furious, and charged again. This time he smashed into the crown of a tree, breaking several branches on the way through and landing on the far side.
Benny trotted up while he was getting back on his feet. "Are we done yet?"
Runtjuv frowned. "You're not supposed to be this skilled in battle."
"Didn't used to be. I've been learnin'."
"Loki underestimated you."
"Loki *lied* to me a lot. He's probably lyin' to you, too."
Runtjuv grinned, a rather feral expression. "Oh, I'm sure he is. But I allow for that. Sheer force doesn't work, brute strength doesn't either. So..." He pulled another runestone out of his pouch. "Otti!"
"What..." Ben's eyes widened as the rune-spell took effect, and he whimpered, unable to suppress his first reaction.
Runtjuv nodded, his feral grin becoming a smirk. "*That* touches you. Your mind is not as strong as your body. Fear. Raw and primal fear." His fist lashed out, and Ben was barely able to react to it, his head snapping back from the blow. "What do you fear, I wonder? Losing your power?" He struck again, this time with multiple blows, and Ben was rocked back, not truly hurt by them, but knocked off balance. "Or is it something more subtle? Fear of being abandoned, of being alone?"
"You... you're doin' magic.It's lyin' to me, just like Loki always did."
"Is it? You've made yourself out as a hero to your new friends. Are you afraid they'll find out you're lying?"
"I'm... not... lyin'..." Another flurry of punches knocked him down.
"No? Then perhaps you're simply afraid you'll fail at it. After all, you failed Loki."
"Didn't fail. Quit..." He managed to roll out of the way of a kick.
"You quit because of a pretty face." He grinned again. "Perhaps you're afraid that she's just pretending to like you. What could she possibly see in you, after all?" He laughed as Ben flinched. "Oh, that one struck a nerve, didn't it?"
Ben shook his head, trying to clear it from the magic. "Don't care. Still... still gonna try." He slowly got to his feet. "Even if *she's* pretendin', they can't *all* be lyin' to me. Gonna make them proud of me, no matter what." This time, he managed to block Runtjuv's punches.
"Are you? Maybe I'll let you live long enough to try, so you can see for yourself. They're no better than --" His gloating was interrupted by the arrival of a telephone pole moving at fifty miles per hour in a flat trajectory.
Ben's face lit up. "Ferric!"
She waved as she finished running back to where the two giants were fighting. "Yep. Evacuation's well underway. Let's finish this off. Are you all right?"
"Will be. He's usin' magic to get into my head and scare me."
"Looks like you're fighting it off. Shall we finish the job?"
Ben nodded. "Let's."
Runtjuv staggered back to his feet. "Two against one? Are you going to let her fight your battles while you hide behind her skirts, weakling?"
"Nah. She don't wear skirts." Ferric snickered as Runtjuv's insult bounced off of Ben's literal interpretation. "An'..." His face cleared as he realized something. "An' it's not *my* fight. It's *ours.* We're fightin' to keep people safe, no matter what *you* say it's about." He moved left, Ferric moved right, and Runtjuv fell back to avoid being outflanked. "You wanna be Fenrir, you can have it. Ain't my real name anyway, it's what Loki called me. I'll pick a new one." He feigned a blow, Runtjuv moved to block it, and Ferric smacked him in the knee with her quarterstaff. "Two against one means we can do teamwork. Ragnarok mostly had trouble with that."
Runtjuv roared, partly in anger but mostly in pain. "Bitch! You dare raise your hand against one of the Jotunn?"
"In a New York minute, Fluffy." Her eyes narrowed as he reached into the pouch at his side and pulled out a runestone.
"Kvol!" Arcane energies crackled around Ferric for a few seconds before fading.
She merely raised an eyebrow. "I don't think your magic works on me. Gonna give up now, or do we have to get serious?"
Runtjuv's eyes were wide. "You should be writhing in agony from that..."
"Is that what it was supposed to do? Sorry." She took a step forward, eyeing the pouch. "That's where you keep your spell components, isn't it? How good are you without them?"
Ben grinned as the fear spell wore off. "He couldn't even touch me without magic. You were right, aikido is perfect for me."
Runtjuv backed off a few steps, nursing his ribs and knee. "Then I shall take your name and my leave, if you will not fight me alone." One last spell and he vanished with a thunderclap. Ferric's staff whistled through the empty space a moment later.
Ben looked around rapidly, trying to spot movement or footprints. "Did he turn invisible?"
Ferric shook her head. "Teleported, I'm pretty sure. The noise is diagnostic. And if he'd still been standing there invisible, I would have knocked him outta the park." She pulled out her communicator and called up the park ranger's frequency. "Threat is over, criminal super has fled. You can stand down the evacuation order."
"Roger that. Thanks, both of you."
"Just doing our jobs, but you're welcome. Thanks for letting me borrow that spare pole." She smiled up at her partner. "You did great, Ben. Kept him busy while we got the civilians away, and then we drove him off as a team. So... are you serious about giving up 'Fenrir'?"
He nodded. "Yep. He was right. That's a villain name now, 'cause of Loki. I'll pick somethin' better. How about Guardian?"
Ferric thought about it. "Pretty sure that's already in use. Let's get back to base and file the paperwork, and we'll come up with something you like. So who was that guy?"
"He said he was Roon-toov, and somethin' about the Yotoon? And he wanted to be the new Fenrir. I think Loki put him up to it..."
* * * * * *
Ferric was finalizing the new database entry with Ben's help. "And... powers. Growth, strength, invulnerability. Magic using runestones. Known effects: Lightning, fear projection, teleportation. Recovered stone was single-use, broken when used. Analysis indicates that the runes used are written in blood. Unknown at this time whether it is his own blood or someone else's." She paused. "Can you think of anything else?"
Ben thought about it, then shook his head. "I think that's everything we found out."
Ferric nodded and saved the entry. "And done." She smiled at her partner. "You did very well for your first real action on our side. Better than I did, I'd say."
"Really?"
"Really. You didn't make any serious mistakes like I did."
"But he got away!"
"So did a bunch of mine, and I was only up against normals. So... I was right, there already is a Guardian. And there was a Shield, though he's retired now. But if you want to keep the Norse theme, we could give you that name in Old Norse or Icelandic."
"What would that be?"
"Well, let's see." A few keystrokes called up a translation program. "Shield is Skjoldr."
Ben stumbled over it. "I don't think I can say that."
"Well, you can't have a name you can't pronounce. Oh, how about this? Verndarri."
He mulled that over. "Yeah, I can say that. What does it mean?"
"Protector. Just like your runes for protection."
His face lit up. "Perfect!"
"Verndarri it is. What say we go out tonight and celebrate at Riverside?"
"Okay, but it's my turn to buy."
"I'd agree, but you're the reason we're celebrating. We can invite Dealanach and Blaze along, give you a proper--" She paused. "Or not. Something's bothering you. You want to talk about it?"
He sighed. "Not really, but I think I prob'ly should. You've told me stuff, an' I think you can help." He paused, while Ferric waited patiently. "It's what happened when he hit me with that fear thing. He kept talkin', pokin' me about it."
"Trying to figure out what you were actually afraid of?"
"Yeah, that's it. An'... an' I think he figured it out. Loki got me to play along with him by pretendin' to be my friend. An' part of me is still worried you might be doin' the same thing. I'm pretty sure you're not, but thinkin' isn't somethin' I'm good at an' I can't get the feelin' part of me to believe it. Specially after that spell was messin' with my head like that."
Ferric shook her head. "And I can protest all day that we're telling you the truth, but that's something you've heard before, isn't it?"
He nodded. "Yeah. An' Loki was *good* at making you believe stuff even when you knew deep down he was lyin'." He shook his head as she started to reply. "No, no. Not done yet." Ferric shut her mouth and waited for him to continue. "I told him... it didn't matter. Whether or not any of you really like me, I'm doin' good stuff for people now. Keepin' them safe. Makin' them happy, like back in the circus days." He paused again, made a decision and went ahead. "An'... an' I decided that's good enough. For the first time in ages, I'm feelin' good about what I'm doin' with myself. So if you are pretendin', you don't have to any more, I don't mi--" His voice shifted, suddenly alarmed. "Sally, you're bleedin'! Don't move, I'll get Lily right away--"
She held him down as he tried to stand up. "Doof. I bleed oil, remember? Red is when I'm crying." She sniffled, grinning through rust-laden tears. "Remember what I said about thinking slowly but getting it right?"
"Yeah...?"
"You're doing it again. Every time they try to treat you like a child, you grow up some more. You want to do the right thing *because* it's the right thing, not just because it makes people like you. And you know what?"
"Umm...?"
"It makes us like you *more* that you're doing it for yourself. You really *are* my hero, and I'm not just your friend any more. I'm falling in love with you."
"With *me*?"
'With you. Don't act so surprised. You're brave, noble, and gentle for all your strength. A girl could do a lot worse."
"But--"
"Don't say it. Don't even *think* it. You're not stupid, you've just spent a longer time than most as a child. But you're not a child any more, and you've learned wisdom over all those years, even if you're not book-smart."
"You really think so?"
"You keep proving it. No wonder Loki tried to keep you suppressed..."
Ben grumbled. "I may have to pound on him after all."
"Heh. I can't be too mad at him. If you'd broken away earlier, I'd have still been a little kid and we might never have met. So, just us tonight, or a foursome?"
"I... dunno."
"I think we should invite them. You need to tell them what you told me. And then we'll go back to your place, and I'm gonna sleep curled up in your arms tonight."
"What??"
"You don't have to do anything more than that if you're not ready for it yet. But I can't think of any better way to show you that I really *do* like you. And trust you."
"You don't hafta do that! Honest, I believe you!"
"But I *want* to." She blushed. "Mom was right. I do want you to be my bull, as soon as you're interested."
"You're gonna insist, aren't you?"
"Yep."
He sighed. "Okay. But you're gonna let me buy you dinner this time, then."
"Fair enough." She picked up her phone and dialed. "Blaze? Ferric. What are you and Deal doing for dinner tonight...?"
The End
Ben gives up the last of his life as a villain.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 120 x 120px
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