"Tiusday... Bloody Tuesday!"
by E A Morrissey

~See Prologue/Chapter 1 for character summaries!~
Be sure to read previous chapters at E.A. Morrissey's Mythology Fan Fiction Page

Warning: This is intended for a PG-13 Audience!

Getting out of his chair, he turned around to look at the Seattle skyline. Seeing the gloomy, overcast and rainy weather put him in a bad mood, though logically the weather is unusually even of Seattle, by all accounts it has been raining since he took possession of the sword, Coincidence... he thought not! Turning away from the window, moving back to his desk he called for his PA via a control pad and a monitor, The PA was on the screen waiting for orders.

"Gloria, a couple of things if you please, contact our man in Washington D.C. I want to talk to him! Initiate 'Gabriel' for system wide release this evening 9.00pm PST. Macro the program to run unless I enter the cancellation code, last but by no means least compile a database of all data regarding "North European myths and folklore, circa 200BCE through to 1100CE! Without further comment, he turned off the comm system!"

Gloria's monitor went off and automatically she got down to business. Swiveling her chair, she moved to her PC monitor pulling up the program 'Angel of death: Gabriel.' She enabled a macro that would set the program running at the allotted time, all she had to do was hit the enter/return key, but the forth finger of her right hand hesitated for a moment.

"Is there a problem Gloria?" Damn, she did not hear him leave the office? He was standing over her shoulder looking intently at the screen. "No. No sir, I'm sorry I was thinking of the consequences... every computer in the world will malfunction and stop working, hence the slight delay." She took a gamble and asked a question of her boss?

"Is there no alternative?" the response was...

"No there is not, 'they' need to be taught a lesson, that lesson is to shut down all the computers! Think of the chaos it will cause? 'They are trying to destroy me so I shall strike first, are you going to start the program or not?"

Without thought she hit the enter/return key, the macro started Gabriel, the angel of death, six hours to go!

"Oh by-the-way, no need to tell your contact about Gabriel, I'll be letting the government know when I talk to mine! You have been a good worker, but you have chosen your alliance. I must have total loyal loyalty, pack your bags, you have ten minutes to get out of the building. As a parting gift I will give you something to remember this day?" Faster than the eye could see the wielder made the sword touch her face, there was no pain only heat. The sword left a nasty scar running from forehead to chin following the left side of her face!

The man walked away back into his office; Gloria pulled out a mirror. The reflection horrified her as she saw what was a woman in her last days of beauty. Now she is a woman who is just a scarred 45-year-old that no one will want. The shock really has not hit yet, because she remembered what he said, get out within ten minutes.  Picking up her belongings, she rushed what she had to do. In one last act of defiance, she hit the keyboard for the last time, the macro engaged, and sending an email to her contact stating the angel of death is amongst us, Gabriel comes!

Two minutes later the "contact" received the message; "shit" was all he said! He got out of his chair so he could bring his plans forward, since it was obvious "he" knows he is being watched. Within minutes, a group of special Ops assembled in the contacts office. They got their briefing!

The control pad was touched again; a picture of a pretty redhead filled the wielder's screen. "Valerie, you are now my PA, move your things to the annex, but before you do prepare a database on European 'North' Mythologies and folklore, also forward the database to my console. Get a hold of our man in Washington DC, I want to talk to him at soonest!"

All Valerie was "thank you sir," her face showed no emotion, but she did see Gloria run out of the building.

"You are welcome Valerie." The wielder could have done the tasks himself, but why. What is the point of having employees if you did things yourself? The view screen went blank only to be replaced with a good-looking man in his fifties, clearly a man of politics... in his own right a powerful man... one of the Senate!

The Senator said, "What's up?" with smiling eyes, but the wielder knew the Senator hated him, he knew the Senator needed the wielder for funds. The wielder knew his history, years ago the would-be Senator made a vow never to be a bought and owned politician, but the system does not allow for that, be part of the system or you are out!

"Before I issue a press release, I'm forwarding the contents to you and your fellow lawmakers in the government. It will say Gabriel will function as of 9.00 P.M. PST, abide by my terms and I will abort the program. If they do not comply, there will be a system wide shut down of all the functioning computers, you know what the consequences will be, amok will raise its ugly head thirty minutes after the deadline! By the way, why are they moving on me so quick?"

"They are scared of you, before they thought you controlled a tool that provided us with the information. We thought we had control of the information, but realized our error, you control the information! One person having that much control is dangerous since the information governs the citizen's everyday lives, you are too powerful! Regardless of the outcome they want to destroy you politically or by covert means, they care not... they want you gone into obscurity!"

" Fair enough, my suspicions are right, YOU PEOPLE have six hours to comply! I will bring back the dark ages again, if pushed, then I will pick up the pieces!"

The smiling eyes changed because he knew he was serious. "My God man, think on what you intend to do!"

"I know what I'm doing, do me a favor, tell them I'm ready for a physical confrontation. Tell them not to bother. "

"Sir, please," the smiling eyes became pleading eyes, "push them too far and they will unleash every asset at there disposal at you."

"Bring them on, for a direct assault is desirable!"

The pleading eyes became horrified eyes, as the Senator could tell he meant every word he said! "God help us," the Senator said out loud.

"That God will not help you now!" The wielder ended transmission but started another!  "George, monitor any activity from the air that deviates from normal flight plans, and notify me immediately!"

"Yes Sir!" George was a good man... a loyal man!

The database was set; he typed in the references he was looking for i.e. anything about the sword and the gods associated with it.

"Why don't you ask me, I am the ultimate reference after all?" The wielder looked around, then realizing the sword talked via his mind. It did not take long for the man to regain his composure. "Why not, tell me, let's hear it from the horse's mouth!" The sword told its story from its very creation!

The Vala followed the wielder to Seattle, and booked herself into the Holiday Inn-Crown Plaza, downtown. The Vala booked herself in as Dana Campbell at the front desk, but she spent no time lollygagging, she went to the room as fast as possible! From her room, she was one block, as the crow flies so she was close enough to create the link. Taking off her modern clothes, she plopped herself on the king-size bed, looking at what he is doing.

In the beginnings she watched with fascination, becoming acquainted with the sword, her assessment changed when the sword talked to the wielder. At this point, she became scared out of her wits. The sword has never talked to a mortal that she knew of, only the gods? She spoke aloud hoping someone will hear her, "Oh Mother, what does the wielder have in store for us?"

From thin air a matter of fact response was spoken. "Potential Annihilation, if he has the will to control the sword!" Frigga materialized out of nothing, walking to the bed sitting beside her subject.

The Druid looked perplexed, "No. Not the annihilation of the gods as well?"

"Mayhap, daughter. My foretelling says it may be so?" The druid who was more than fifteen hundred years old looked like a little scared child, and acted like one. She buried her head into the nape of Frigga's neck whilst flinging her arms over the shoulders of the Mother of most, Frigga, like she was consoling a child, in fact she was in the scheme of things. Frigga shushed and patted the woman. The Druid gained comfort from the goddess, after a few minutes asked more questions.

"Surely the Lord of the Morning will come to our aid?"

"Nay daughter, the Thunderer shalt not come to our aid, at least not until the end!"

"How did you do that?" the last druid asked.

"I coerced Thor into an oath of inaction toward the sword, but Thor was clever enough to leave an opening in his oath, he acted upon it and selected a champion of good. He selected Midgard's blessing, a man of immense power to fight for all that is good, but for all of Thor's good intentions, he has sealed our potential doom!"

"How so mother?"

"Herein lies the flaw of his oath, within the man called Norrin Radd lays a seed of evil that was well contained, the sword may weaken the walls of the 'seeds' prison!"

"Is this the same Norrin Radd also called the Silver Surfer, who was the herald to that alien called the Devourer of Worlds?"

"Aye, he be one and the same!"

"Oh, my giddy old bones, " the druid collapsed into the waiting arms of Frigga, mother to most!

The monitor beeped, indicating the search was complete. The wielder now filled with accurate information, the origins from the sword itself. Looking with a curiosity to see if the myths supported what he has learned.

The database scrolled past his eyes showing the Gods involved with the sword, they were...

... Old Man Thor, forger of the sword, given to...

... Tiwas (Twi, Tiu, Saxnot, Cheru and Tyr. Same god different times and places) to kill a rather circumspect...

... Woden (Odin, Wotan) a wind god of ill repute considered ungainly by the gods at the time that eventually usurped Tiwas as the supreme sky god, known as the Aud-Father!

The written text was less than complete, though, somehow Thor had something to do with this, since the sword is not needed anymore because the Gods themselves have changed? The only recollection that was accurate was written in the early twentieth century by an author named H.A. Guerber. These were the words written in Nineteen-Twenty-nine!

According to an ancient legend, Cheru's (Tyr's) Sword, which had been fashioned by Thor. The sword was held very sacred by his, Tyr's, people, to whose care he had entrusted it, declaring that those who possessed it were sure to have victory over their foes. However, although carefully guarded in the temple, where it was hung so that it reflected the first beams of the morning sun, it suddenly and mysteriously disappeared on night (By Tyr). A Druidess, or prophetess, consulted the priests, revealing that the Norns (Wyrd) had decreed that whosoever wielded the sword would conquer the world and come to his death by it; but in spite of all entreaties she refused to tell who had taken it or where it might be found. Some time after this occurrence, a tall and dignified stranger came to Cologne, where Vitellius, the Roman prefect, was feasting, calling him away from his beloved dainties. In the presence of the Roman soldiery he gave him the sword, telling him it would bring him glory and renown, finally to hail him as emperor. The cry was taken up by the assembled legions, and Vitellius, without making any personal effort to secure the honor, found himself elected Emperor of Rome.

The new ruler, however, was so absorbed in indulging his taste for food and drink that he paid but little heed to the divine weapon. One day while leisurely making his way to Rome he carelessly left it hanging in the antechamber to his pavilion. A German soldier seized this opportunity to substitute in its stead his own rusty blade, and the besotted emperor did not notice the exchange. When he arrived at Rome, he learned that the Eastern legions had named Vespasian emperor, and that he was even then on his way home to claim the Throne.

Searching for the sacred weapon to defend his rights, Vitellius now discovered the theft, and, overcome by superstitious fears, did not even attempt to fight. He crawled away into a dark corner of his palace, whence he was ignominiously dragged by the enraged populace to the foot of Capitoline Hill. There the prophesy was duly fulfilled, for the German soldier, who joined the opposite faction, coming along at that moment, cut off Vitellius' head with the sacred sword.

The German soldier now changed from one legion to another, and traveled over many lands; but wherever he and his sword were found, victory was assured. After winning great honor and distinction, this man, having grown old, retired from active service to the Banks of the Danube, where he secretly buried his treasured weapon, building his hut over its resting-place to guard it as long as he might live. When he lay on his deathbed he was implored to reveal where he had hidden it, but he persistently refused to do so, saying that it would be found by the man destined to conquer the world, but that he would not be able to escape the curse. Years passed by. Wave after wave the tide of barbarian invasions swept over that part of the country, and last of all came the terrible Huns under the leadership of Attila, the "Scourge of God." As he passed along the river, he saw a peasant mournfully examining his cow's foot, which had been wounded by some sharp instrument hidden in the long grass, and when the a search was made the point of a buried sword was found sticking out of the soil.

Attila, seeing the beautiful workmanship and the fine state of preservation of this weapon, immediately exclaimed it was Cheru's (Tyrs) sword, and brandishing it above his head he announced that he would conquer the world. Battle after battle was fought by the Huns, who, according to the saga, were everywhere victorious, until Attila, weary of warfare, settled down in Hungary, taking to wife the beautiful Burgundian princess Ildico, whose father he had slain. This princess, resenting the murder of her kin and wishing to avenge it, took advantage of the king's state of intoxication upon his wedding night to secure possession of the divine sword, with which she slew him in his bed, once more fulfilling the prophesy uttered so many years before!

 "Not much is recorded for the sword destined to kill Woden, eh?" The sword seemed disappointed!

The Monitor beeped as George came on-line. "Sir, we have incoming, two helicopters following a trajectory toward us!"

"Conclusions George?" the wielder said!

"The Helicopters are a Rouse, if you want my opinion, the assault will be direct, maybe five or six operatives." George was an EX-SAS Captain, and the SAS were known as the finest antiterrorist group there was!

"Thank you George, I'll handle things for now!" The building suddenly lost power for five seconds until the emergency backup generators kicked in, restoring lighting and computer stand-by-mode only. Communications were down, but that mattered little to the Wielder; he had the penthouse and a private stairwell to the roof of the building... that he climbed!

"Cap, he is on the roof, just standing there holding a sword," the young pilot eagerly shouted before he continued... "Do you want us to dispatch him?"

The captain of the covert Operation responded, "Any potential loss of other life?"

"No. He's alone, go for confirmation sir!"

"Dispatch with prejudice, browning's only." The first Helicopter went for the target opening all barrels!

To see the wielder he looked bored, but he swung the sword in a protective arc, shielding the wielder from the sizable bullets! During this episode, the wielder asked if the sword can create an EM pulse?

"What is an EM pulse?" the sword said!

"An Electro-Magnetic pulse!"

"Thou art talking gibberish man, explain, give me an example of what an EM pulse is!"

"Do you know what Sunspots are?"

"YES!"

"Well, Sunspots create Radiation that effects how electricity operates. It creates a void that Electricity cannot operate in!"

"Since I am the very embodiment of the sun, I can create what thou wishes, all thou hast to do is ask."

"I don't wish it, I will it... let there be light!"

The wielder raised the sword above his head, the sword began to glow, and the incandescence grew brighter than the highest candlepower rating. For Nano seconds the sword switched off, then became Bright again, thus creating the unseeing Em Pulse, which searched for its targets. The Twin turbines' ignition systems stopped operating! Like stones thrown into the sky, the helicopters fell to the ground, crashing on both sides of the "5" freeway. The collateral damage killed eighty-four people, some were going to work, some coming away from work, then there were a few tourists like Maryanne Jordan who was visiting relatives. One good thing about their death was that they would not suffer when Anarchy raises its ugly head, when the Angel of death kills society as we know it!

Before the demise of the occupants in the helicopters, they relayed the goings on and the futility of the attack.

The captain signaled the operatives to GO, traversing up the elevator cables via motorized mechanisms; the time traveled upward was short. Like an onrush of stampeding Elephants, they rushed out of the elevator tower surrounding the wielder of the sword!

There was a moment of inaction as the wielder studied his adversaries and visa versa, using this to his advantage he looked into the sword and saw the wolf was still there?

"Fenris, are you at my beck and call?"

"Nay, but if the situation pleases me I whilst do what thou wants."

"Do you want to send more souls to your sister?"

"Verily, of my siblings my sister is favored, will it and yon adversaries' shalt be dispatched to Hel, goddess of Death, my sisters' realm (Niflheim)."

"So be it," the wielder willed it!

From the sword leaped the Wolf who is a principal character in the play known as Ragnarok! He grew to a size of twenty feet at the shoulder; feral yellow eyes froze the operatives, and the maw opening showing saliva-covered razor sharp teeth. The operatives were incapable of action, almost frozen when they stood, with the exception of two operatives losing control of their bowels. The Wolf moved with astonishing speed, Rip went the first throat... the heart of another... Gulping down with glee the brains of another, and so it went until the last of the green berets were destroyed. Hel received the soul with thanxs as the souls now screamed for redemption. Hel made herself known to the wielder since he has already sent over forty souls to her domain, for that she'll give a piece of advise. Fenris went back to his prison; the Sword called ODIN'S BANE!

"Ware yea wielder, thou hast the will, doth thou have the conviction? The power yea wield knows no bounds excepting your will of course, with this sword thou canst challenge the Aud-father hissel. Make your acquaintance with the sword as fast as thou canst. The Thunderer's champion comes seeking the champions' soul for within there is a seed thou canst nurture! Fare yea well challenger of the gods, for if thou hath the conviction the Wyrd is yours, fare yea well indeed he who will give me more!"

To the wielder, he thought of what was said. So the big guns have entered the fray, good let them, I have no faith in them, though I do have faith in their tools, the sword has given me much, so In kind I shall complete his mission, watch your back Woden for the wielder shall strike!" 

The sword was pleased, he knows this wielder will fulfill his side of the bargain, if a sword could smile, the sword was smiling now!

The two women, one a goddess, the other an extremely long lived and gifted woman of the faith, they turned to each other, but it was Frigga that spoke. "Oh Odin, heart of my heart, pray your son breaks his oath, this mortal hath the imagination and the will to make it so, hath the book been revised? Is this the beginnings of our end? Oh Odin, my long and long companion, pray the Wyrd is good to us... to you... to Asgard."

To Be Continued . . .