Die Me, Dichotomy [IC]

[Dr Archeville]

"Gods? Ha!" The fingertips of Cheavlier's gauntlets shimmered and morphed into wicked talons, "you claim to be a Valkyrie, yet you cannot fly! Allow me to remedy that, by giving you wings on which tAAAAAARGH!!!!!!"

BIIITCH!

A massive bolt of lightning struck from the clear skies, slamming into Chevalier's back. Multiple systems were overloaded instantly, components melted and fused... and he fell, releasing the heroine as he went.

"NOOOOO!"

The metal shell threatened to become his coffin.

"I will not be ended by some souped-up slattern! I defy you, and your 'gods'!"

Arch-Evil worked at a furious pace to bring his armor's systems back online, rerouting around damaged circuits to at least get the flight system working again. That proved to require too much time, but there was a linked system that was serviceable.

Chevalier winked out of the sky, and materialized a few inches above the water, redirecting the momentum of his fall out all around him so the fall was no worse than a simple jump into a lake. He looked up, and saw he had beaten his target's body down to the water's surface. He prepared to catch her, to pry "mjolnir" form her dead fingers and the "orb of fate" from off her broken neck.

"Yeesss.... I am the Victor, Arch-Cavil! My will -- backed by Science! -- be done!"

Arch-Evil's anticipation turned to fury as he saw Valkyie's form shimmer and shift. It was the body of Vivian Kriger, in plain clothing and with no mystical Norse items on her, that hit the water at terminal velocity. Chevalier cursed and raged, but not so much that he failed to notice the approaching superheroes.

Ah, the caretakers at Providence must have called in the disturbances caused by our battles under the asylum, and... whatever it was 'Valkyrie' was so flashy it drew more. Can't have them finding me here, not now, so I shall return home.

Even if I was not able to claim her items for my own, her death -- by her inability to control her own power, the ignorant fool! -- is satisfaction enough.

---

Elsewhere. Nowhere. Everywhere.

Vivian Kriger knew light once more, the golden lights of Valhalla, shining from behind those coming towards her. Before her stood Odin, All-Father, King of the Aesir! Flanking him were his eight daughters, the true Valkyries, stern and grim choosers of the slain. Odin himself bore a weary look, but stood firm as any God-King (or Norseman) should.

"Hello, Childe!," Odin's voice boomed. "You have done... adequately in your final test, and we have come to usher your spirit to its destination!"

[quotemyname]

Vivian knelt. Falling to one knee, she rested her right fist against the ground, and bowed her head in reverence. "Father," Her voice showed plainly her deep feelings of awe. "Thou art... This is... Thine welcome is more than I had hoped to achieve in this life. I humbly accept my place at thine feet."

A single, shining tear splashed on the stone floor next to her hand.

"Father, I pray you. Before I join thine hallowed halls, there are those who must know my passing..."

---

On the outskirts of a small town in Massachusetts, a medium sized house covered in snow puffed smoke from its chimney. Inside, an older man and woman sat on a couch near each other.

Vivian's form appeared before them. Transparent and wispy, she moved to stand over them. She looked at the books they were reading, and smiled. Her father held a book about famous battles in WWII. Her mother was reading about events set during the french revolution. She'd always known why she'd been drawn to history books. She had her parents to thank.

They could not see her, hear her, or touch her. But as she drew closer, the two readers looked up at the place where Vivian would have been standing. "I'm sorry," She told them, "But this is the way I want it. Be happy for me." As the last of the words left her mouth, and the tears left her eyes, she faded away and was gone.

Vivian's mother sputtered, and began to cry. Her father set his book down and embraced Vivian's mother. "There, there. Don't cry," he told her, even as he shed a tear of his own.

---

Vivian appeared once more in a place that was strange to her. She was drawn not to the location, but the individual nearby. John Fraser stood alone on a street corner on a dreary day. Invisible and untouchable, she approached him. He too would not be aware of her presence. But he would be touched by her spirit upon her leaving, and he would know he had been visited.

Vivian stroked his face and whispered in his ear, "I take great pride in the things that you do, John. I know that I can rest easy knowing that a warrior such as yourself battles on in my place. I hope to be able to enjoy watching you fight for years to come. I will forever watch over you, John. Though I have no regrets about my passing, I will miss you dearly," she choked back a sob, and kissed him on the lips, "I love you." and then she was gone.

---

"I thank you, Father," Vivian Kriger knelt once more before the shining gates of Valhalla. "I am ready."

[Dr Archeville]

Odin exhaled sharply (sigh? Never!), and looked down upon the fallen heroine. "Childe, thou hast done much for the cause of Good by fighting Evil, but know also that thou also hast done much to curry Hel's favor. Acts of cowardice and deceit which surely would land thee in Nifleheim's icy clutch... but your last act on Midgard, and your first acts here, show that a noble spirit still dwell within thee. However... these nobler acts do not fully absolve thee of thine past transgressions, so while it is not Hel that shall receive thee, neither shall it be Valhalla."

The Valkyries -- the true ones --- turned and walked off into the cloudy mists. Vivian moved to speak, but the All-Father held up a hand, "instead, thou shalt remain here, 'twixt the Gate of Valhalla and the Bifrost Bridge connecting Asgard and Midgard. Thou shalt aid Heimdall in guarding this juncture, looking for threats to us, as well as thine namesake's task of seeking noble heroes of Midgard to be called to the Hall of the Slain. Thou shalt seek them only; thou shalt not venture to Midgard to gather the slain, as that task is reserved for mine true daughters." Odin stroked his beard, "in time, thou may earnest entry to the Hall, but for now, it is barred to thee."

---

Arrowhawk's reaction to Vivian's death was predictably intense, and he sought (among others) Doktor Archeville for answers. Believing that it may have been Ragnarok that came and finished her off, they explored the SHADOW facility he and Vivian had uncovered. They found a concealed room the AEGIS snoops had missed, containing a secured computer which held files on both broad SHADOW activities and Ragnarok's own plans. It showed he was headed to Europe, and that's where Arrowhawk went.

Exactly as Archeville's Other Self intended.

~fin~