Chapter 9: Cliffhanger

It was getting hotter, Mimir realized, very much hotter. It was disturbing. Outside the hut, Kratos’ pet wolves Sveki and Svanna were barking loudly, then whining. What was going on?

From his seat overlooking the Norse Realms, the author AchtungNight frowned at the sudden disturbance. Oh, right, he reminded himself, my crossover cliffhanger. Damn it. Do I still want to do this? Fine, I guess so. Here we go.

“Kratos!” AchtungNight shouted at his current story’s two central characters. “Freya! We have a problem! A very big problem!”

Kratos and Freya promptly ceased their lovemaking, redonned their clothing, recovered their weapons and various powers. They then allowed AchtungNight to transport them out of their special cave into an appropriate area of Midgard. “What is happening?” Kratos asked, sensing the heat and other oncoming dangers. “What is happening?” Freya was also looking around, uncomfortable and afraid.

“Be Not Afraid,” AchtungNight told them. “Be Ready. I think you know what is coming, Kratos. The great Destroyers of Realms, the beings that always come after great wars and great ruinous events such as when you destroyed Olympus. You’ve fought these beings before. Back in Greece, before you left that Realm, they came to that Realm and you fought them. Did you not anticipate these beings coming to your new Home Realms also, after Ragnarok?”

“What is he talking about?” Freya asked Kratos nervously. “What is going on?”

Kratos paused, then grunted, recognizing some large black cylinders in the area around them. Those cylinders had deadly contents, he knew. Acid, corruption, and horrifying Monsters. He and Freya would have to move quickly to destroy the cylinders and their contents, Kratos judged, and find the Queens that were creating the cylinders. Also of concern were the beings that had brought the Queens and their children into the Norse Realms. Where were they? Ah, Kratos grunted, recognizing strange shapes moving in the air nearby. They were cloaked, but Kratos could see through the camouflage. He was ready.

“Aliens,” he informed Freya, identifying their opponents. “Xenomorphs. Predators. Yautja. They come to revel in destruction. I have fought them before. They will not defeat me this time! They have never defeated me! They can never defeat me!”

Freya frowned, still not understanding. Then mocking laughter echoed around her and Kratos. Strange ugly masked creatures appeared out of thin air, holding spears and other weapons. Some of the creatures aimed strange magical lights at her and Kratos. Strange metal beasts stood and flew beside the creatures, and stranger biological beings loomed beside them also. Kratos, the God of War, was grunting in preparation beside her, a summoned spear in one hand and his Leviathan Axe in the other. His Blades of Chaos were also ready. Freya recognized the circumstances and summoned her own weapons, unfurled her Valkryie wings.

“Valkyries!” she shouted. “Vanir! All other beings who would answer! Come to me and Kratos! We need you!”

Across the Norse Mythological Realms, various beings at once took up arms and readied themselves to ally with Kratos and Freya. This included Vidar, a Demigod son of Odin who was still longing for vengeance on Kratos and Freya for the death of his father. But he could ally with them for a time against this strange new threat, Vidar decided. He would learn about Kratos and Freya, the slayers of his father, and he would avenge Odin as foretold, would he not? Yes, Vidar decided, I will. I will have vengeance on my father’s killers. So I swear.

A Shadow of vengeance forming behind Vidar chuckled in agreement, urged on by Athena and other Fallen Angels. In various other Realms, other Gods opposed to Kratos and his allies chorused their alliance with Vidar and the Shadow. Tezcatlipoca, Set, Orochi, Apep, Kali, all these other Gods feared that Kratos would one day bring their destruction. Perhaps Vidar could kill Kratos before that happened? Perhaps the Shadow could kill him, if not Vidar? The Gods opposing Kratos, allied with the Shadow, hoped that it would be so.