As dawn greeted Vyxora, Yuna exited the basement stairs into the courtyard. She and Val spot one another. As they walk to meet midway, a loud crashing sound rang out from the Vyxora entrance. They both dashed to the source.

“The fuck was that?” Yuna asked.

“It sounded like a car crashing into something,” Val said. They reached the top of the stairs and spotted a smashed up car that had slammed into a concrete wall to the side of the bottom steps.

“That car…?” Yuna paused. “Griff! Shit.” She lightly slapped Val’s shoulder before descending the stairs. “Get my Mom, quick!” Val wasted no time disappearing back into Vyxora while calling Celeste through her IRIS at the same time. Yuna sped down the steps so quickly that she tripped into the demolished car. She recovered and reached to open the door, but it had become wedged into the side of the stairs. She looked inside through the driver’s seat partially broken window.

“Griff? You alive?” An extremely disheveled Griff lay still, propped up against a deployed airbag. “Griff!” No response. He started to spasm. Her eye’s opened wide in panic. “Oh fuck, that does not look good.” A few seconds passed as she hurriedly called Reina via her IRIS.

“Yunne? Wha? Just fell…” Reina said sleepily.

“You gotta tap into my IRIS now! I don’t know what to do. Griff looks real fucking bad. Shit, is that foam? Is there something I can do before Mom gets here? Hurry!”

“Griff? Huh? What’s going on?”

“Trust me! Hurry!” Several seconds passed as Griff started convulsing.

“What the? Where are you?”

“Right outside at our steps. He crashed his car bad.” Yuna looked at the crumpled front of the car. “That’s all I know. Val’s getting Mom. This looks really fuckin’ bad!” She looked back at Griff. “I should do something, right? Right?”

Several indecipherable panicked noises emanated from Reina.

“Come on, Reina!”

“I don’t know what to do! Why would I? Don’t touch him yet, I think?”

“Fuck. Where’s Mom?” Yuna glanced at the Vyxora entrance. “I’ll at least try this.” She smashed the remaining window outward with her fist from inside, then worked on prying open the door.

Think, think! Yuna’s doing what she can, Reina thought. Oh! Mama! Even if she’s on the way, I can—. Several seconds passed. Celeste raced down a corridor while carrying a medical bag. Val followed, also carrying a bag.

“Mama! Hurry and give me permission to one of your eyes! Please!” Reina said, her voice ringing out in Celeste’s head. Celeste appeared unfazed, her stride continued.

“Done,” Celeste said. Another several seconds passed. Her left eye via her IRIS became a visual feed of Yuna bending the car door with all her strength into the stairs where part of it had wedged. “Yuna!”

“Mom?” Yuna glanced at the Vyxora entrance, puzzled by not seeing anyone.

“I patched Mama in, too, Yuna!” Reina said.

“Quick, show me Griff. I’ll be there soon,” Celeste said. Yuna looked at Griff. “Jesus, Griff. What’ve you done? Yuna! He’s having a seizure. Until I get there, use your hands as a loose barrier around his head. But do not outright grab it! Just try to prevent his head from moving too much. He could have a neck injury. We’ll be there soon.”

Several hours later, Dante exited his room in a drowsy daze. He sauntered over toward Reina-cat. A section of her screens showed Griff asleep in a medical bed, with wires and tubes going in and out of him. Celeste sat nearby, watching. In another section of Reina’s screens, a recording played of Griff lying on the ground beside his crashed car. He no longer convulsed as Celeste inspected him with care.

“‘Sup.” Dante yawned.

“Ah!” Reina said, startled. Reina-cat even jumped a little. She turned. “Dante? I completely forgot about you.”

“That’s an oddly harsh greeting. I think? Should I be offended?” Dante rubbed his eyes.

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Shouldn’t you still be asleep? Did you even go to sleep?”

“Not exactly.”

“Something happen?”

Reina recounted the morning’s events as she signaled to the monitors. “I’m trying to see if he said something else we missed.” They watched the replay of Celeste inspecting Griff.

“Dude looks high as fuck.”

“He is, well, was. But, watch carefully, please.”

“Undying…undying…undy—,” Griff mumbled as his face twitched, eyes repeatedly blinking.

“All I can make out is ‘undying’ over and over. You didn’t catch anything else, right?” Reina asked.

“Nope,” Dante said.

Reina sighed. “No idea what that might mean, do you?”

“Nothin’ comes to mind.”

“And here is where Mama said he needs to be brought to a hospital. Weirdly, he seemed to gather all the consciousness he had to, well, watch.”

“His injuries aren’t too severe, but it’s hard to tell with confidence when you look at the wreck,” Celeste said. “Reina, I’m sure you’ve already called an ambulance? We need to get him to a hospital. He’s definitely overdosed on something, too.” Griff’s eyes opened wide, his upper half shot up as he grabbed at Celeste.

“No! No hospital! Swear on Styx! Can’t—.” Griff fell limp back to the ground. Celeste cradled his head just in time. “—risk.” The word softly drifted from his lips as he went unconscious.

“‘Swear on Styx?’” Dante asked.

“Mama said it was something from their PMC days. It was enough to convince her to trust him and have me call off the ambulance.”

“Damn, some kinda code, huh? Kinda cool.”

“Don’t say that around Mama, she really doesn’t like talking about her past life.”

“So, where’s that?” Dante pointed to Griff. “Sure looks like a hospital bed.”

“Below us, the Nezin’s, of course. They had to sedate him heavily. Borderline comatose. He had enough ‘Ascend’ in his system to overdose twice. It’s a miracle he’s alive.”

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“Goddamn. I’ve heard of that crazy popular designer drug. Some people microdose it to sync faster in ALTR.”

“Really? I had no idea.”

“That’s about all I know, though, before you think of asking more.”

Reina let out an exhaustive sigh. “Griff’s been almost silent these last months. I’ve tried contacting him so many times but he always shrugged me off, or just ignored me. What’s he been up to? What could have happened?”

Dante walked away as a silence set in. After a brief time, he returned to his usual seat with a drink. Reina’s screens flashed with the typical activity.

“So, uh, have you not slept at all?” Dante asked.

“What? No. I can’t.”

“What’re you even searching for?”

“I don’t know. I have Val combing through the car, but she has to leave soon.”

“Why? Oh. Shit, Yuna’s big duel is today, isn’t it? Though big feels like an understatement.”

“Yes. I’m surprised you remembered.”

“Dawned on me since I haven’t seen her.”

“She went to ‘warm up’ after helping with Griff.”

“How’re you, you know?”

“Know what?”

“Feeling.”

Reina’s screens stopped. Reina-cat turned to Dante. He didn’t notice while clearly playing a game that he’d limited to a corner of his monitor. “‘Feeling?’”

“Yeah. I mean, you always talk confidently about Yuna, especially in front of her. But, like, you’re Reina. That why you’re so gung-ho on Griff? Sure, you’d be close to that anyway, but for you to go so long without mentioning Yuna, well. Y’kno.”

Reina paused. “Ew. Gross. Creepy,” Reina said in a disgusted tone.

“What?” Dante turned with a pained expression until suddenly seeing Reina-cat facing him, which startled him. “Gah.”

Reina laughed at Dante’s bewilderment. “Sorry, sorry, I was just kidding. Thought I’d repay your uncharacteristic kindness with something uncharacteristic of my own.”

Dante chuckled. “Ahh. You got me good. The way you said that was straight out of a show. Like the popular girl turning down the nerd.”

Reina giggled. “I practiced.”

Dante applauded. “I’m proud. Life’s too boring without some bantz here and there.”

Reina-cat returned to her work. “Yeah, yeah. I’m still surprised you of all people would ask how I’m feeling, though. You’ve really changed.”

“It’s weird for me, too. Not sure I’ve ever even said something similar to family. Heh.”

“I am worried, of course. I can’t not be. I had recordings of your brothers. No offense, but just wasn’t worried. When I saw her fight an unknown though… Siegfried. I was terrified. There’s no recordings of Freya, either.”

“Whelp, hate to break it to you, you’ve picked a dumbass path to go down.”

“I have.”

Several hours later. Yuna, in her Aegis suit, now an abyssal black, stood on the arena floor of an underground coliseum. She stood still, noticeably not bouncing on her feet or twirling her axes as in the past. Opposite her stood Freya. She wore a suit as well, appearing as if a Valkyrie from Norse myth had descended to the mortal plane. She had a half-helmet, with her mouth and jaw showing while her golden long hair flowed out onto a cape on her back. Yuna’s identity was not given to the announcer, thus she got referred to as simply ‘Abyss’. While the announcer whipped the crowd into a veritable frenzy at the rare match involving a council member, Freya donned a transarm spear and shield, completing her historical look. No words were exchanged between them while the frenzied crowd soon drowned out even the announcer in anticipation.

The moment the fight began, Yuna wielded a battle axe. Freya lunged without hesitation. Her spear only narrowly missed Yuna’s head via a dodge. She grabbed at the spear, but Freya quickly pulled back. Freya followed up with another thrust. Yuna parried it with the axe, albeit within a hair’s width. This emboldened Freya as she thrust the spear in a flurry, pressuring Yuna. Yuna dodged and parried attack after attack, appearing unable to issue any counters. The announcer and crowd noise were deafening, yet had little effect on the combatants. Freya’s thrusts increased to a wild, reckless degree. So much so that it took her precious seconds to realize she stabbed at empty air. Yuna executed an absurd, reckless attack of her own as she bent low while spinning a full three-sixty degrees with her axe gliding mere inches from the ground. Freya brandished her shield just in time as Yuna issued a massive upswing of the battle axe. It cleaved into the shield, almost breaking through. Yuna gripped the handle tight however, ensuring it did not go along for the ride as Freya lifted several feet off the ground. The force of the blow propelled her upward, landing a short distance away.

Not bad, Yuna thought.

Yuna prevented herself from toppling over, having moved into an awkward crouch. Freya, meanwhile, had clung to her spear as she hit the ground with a rough landing. The crowd grew even louder. Freya appeared unharmed as she scrambled to her feet.

Motherfucker, what was that? Freya thought. I’ll fucking skewer this insect, goddamnit! Freya stood to see Yuna stretching.

Damn, she’s up already? Yuna thought. Think that awkward ass attack might’ve dealt more damage to me. Pops would be pissed. But I got rid of the pain in the ass shield, so, oh well.

Freya glanced at the damaged shield, then gripped her spear with both hands. She hesitated as Yuna shrugged, then her transarm shifted into two axes, one in each hand. After Yuna faced Freya, Freya lunged again. The spear glanced off Yuna’s side, shearing some of the suit off with it.

So she’s not a trophy wife. Good. I don’t have to hold back too much, Yuna thought. Well, okay, not like I was gonna by the end, anyway.

Freya and Yuna engaged in an intense back and forth for the next few minutes, parrying and dodging one another as their transarms clashed. The reach advantage of Freya’s spear, however, caused Yuna to act more defensively until she shifted one of her transarms into a lengthy katana. This allowed her to deliver several glancing strikes, cutting into Freya’s suit. Yuna’s nimbleness, combined with the increased reach, caused Freya’s thrusts to grow more and more erratic. Then, on a wild strike, she pierced Yuna’s upper right chest. She grinned as she pulled back her spear, which revealed the wound to be quite shallow. Yuna struck the spear blade with the katana, sending Freya off-balance, and in that moment, cleaved into Freya’s shoulder with her axe. Freya then swung her spear into the side of Yuna, who struggled to reclaim the axe, for it had cut too deep. Yuna leapt away, leaving the axe behind. Freya pointed her spear in defense as she eyed the axe stuck in her. Her body heaved with exhaustion. Yuna inspected her own wound best she could in the brief respite.

As dulled as I am, what is this feeling? Freya thought. It’s liberating. I’ve tried so much, in so little time. But this…could this be what I’ve been looking for? She laughed and grinned. Only Yuna caught a snippet amongst the frenzied arena noise. She stabbed her spear into the ground, then ripped the axe with both hands out of her shoulder and tossed it aside. The end. Yes.

Freya took a stance with her spear held firmly in both hands. Blood flowed down her chest and arms from her wound. Yuna reciprocated Freya’s resolve, entering a low stance. No words needed exchange as they accepted this would be their last clash. Even the crowd quieted in response to the sight. Time seemed to slow for all present. Freya lunged with all that she could muster, targeting Yuna’s chest. The spear pierced Yuna’s lower right abdomen. Yuna had stood upright just as Freya had lunged. Freya gave a slight tug to her spear, but it didn’t move. Yuna had actually proceeded forward, causing the spear to break through to the other side. Barely seconds passed before Freya, or anyone else, could register the transarm katana lodged in her chest. She stumbled back as she released her spear. She fell to her back, the katana’s tip piercing into the floor. Yuna, meanwhile, held the spear, well over half of it had exited her back as she pushed the remaining through.

Fuck shit, fuck, Yuna thought. This hurts way more than I figured it would. What a dumbass idea. Christ.

Yuna finished pulling the spear from her back as the crowd erupted at the unbelievable end to the duel. The suit started closing the hole on either side. She approached Freya, who coughed up blood as she slowly looked up at Yuna.

“End me,” Freya said as more blood spilled out.

“Kinda surprised you’re still alive. Decent fight, though. Least I could do is honor that request,” Yuna said. She pulled out the katana as a peculiar, soft grin formed on Freya’s lips. Yuna moved to ensure a blow directly through the heart.

“Wait, please,” Tyr said.

“Whoa,” Yuna blurted out, suddenly noticing the large man only a few steps away.

“Allow me Freya’s last moments.”

Yuna looked to Tyr. “The fuck you come from? I was only doing as she asked. Probably pretty painful.” She grabbed where the spear had pierced.

“I’m grateful of your mercy. You needn’t worry, however. She likely feels little at this moment. She’s dulled, I assure you.” Tyr gazed into Yuna’s eyes, despite the helmet.

Yuna shrugged. “Eh, whatever. Sure.”

Tyr nodded with a solemn expression. Yuna turned away and walked a few steps, then laid on the ground in exhaustion. Val ran toward her from a tunnel entrance. Tyr quickly moved to his knees, then toggled Freya’s helmet as he cradled her head. Her barely open eyes met his.

“I failed you again, Freya,” Tyr said. “Even the one thing I’d thought I’d given you. Failed you.”

“Tyr?” Freya murmured.

“I’ll never deserve forgiveness for all the wrongs I’ve committed against you. I could—. I should have done so much more.”

Freya smiled. “I found it. Tyr. It’s okay. I found it.”

“Found what? I don’t understand?”

“Dnt…much left. Have to…about Odin. I—.”

“I know. I should’ve. Long ago.”

The fading light of Freya’s eyes flashed for a few seconds before dimming again as tears welled up. “You…chose me?” Tears trickled down her cheeks as the light disappeared alongside a breathless chuckle. Her eyes closed, leaving behind a tranquil visage.