League War Avalanche Fan-Fiction: Gift of the Midgardsormr

by Madam Marvelous and Midgardsormr
ID #26130 and ID#11112

“Five more minutes. I’ll try again in five more minute,” I said as I kept breaking the pledge I made to not try and reach my parents again. Five minutes seemed like a perfectly reasonable amount of time to wait, but by the time I got to three minutes, I find I couldn’t wait any longer. I swiped HOME on my comms device only to receive the same message as every time before.

                “Hi. We can’t come to the phone right now. Audrey II needs to be fed. Leave a message and if we don’t get turned into plant food, we’ll call you back later. Bye!!”

                You have to understand, my parents met in school at a screening of the classic film Little Shop of Horrors. She was studying landscape engineering; he was enrolled in dental school. They were fated to become a couple.

                Someone tapped me on my shoulder, startling me away from the screen of my communicator. I found most of my leaguemates from the Star Force Junior League standing in a group at the top of the staircase leading to the Stellar Arena’s common areas. I was still sitting in the bleachers watching the last fights Ms. Fae’s Legacy of Spawn had in the third round.

                “There you are Kitt’n,” Arcane Ace said from where he sat on the bleacher directly behind me. “We’ve been looking for you. I don’t think Midgardsormr will let us in the party without you.”

                “I don’t think I can go,” I said, my shoulders suddenly heavy enough to make me lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. “I can’t reach my parents. Something has happened to them. I need to go home.”

                Ace moved up to sit beside me. “By Hades beard. How long since you’ve heard from them?”

                “It’s been all day. I check in with them every morning.” I’d helped fight the Augments. Did they come and take my parents for their nefarious purposes? What about the Spirit of Halloween? He wasn’t happy with me after I revealed he was possessing E.B. this past All Hallows Eve. What terror was he inflicting on my parents? I’d put them in danger. It was all my fault. “They’re missing because of me.”

                “You don’t know that’s true. Keep a level head and let’s work the problem,” Ace said. “Do you have anything of theirs?”

                “Yeah,” I said before I wiped my eyes before I started to cry and reached into a pouch on my costume’s belt, pulling from it a small clear charm on a pendant. “This is my father’s lucky four-leaf clover. He found it in my mother’s garden the day he proposed to her. He said he would have never had the guts to ask her if he hadn’t found this first.”

                “Wow. That’s a rather potent charm,” he said as he looked at the bright green clover frozen in epoxy that hung from a leather cord. “Do you mind if I scry for them with this? I might be able to give you an idea where they might be and then we can go and find them together.”

                I nodded, grateful for his help.

                Ace had changed out of his League War uniform and wore a black turtleneck with a large silver amulet hanging around his neck and a pair of silver bands wrapped around his wrists. He took the charm and held it in the palm of one hand and closed his eyes while holding the other hand directly over the open one, slowly moving it in a counterclockwise motion like rolling a ball of dough. His fingers moved in intricate patterns like a person using sign language, which I suppose in some ways, he was. His language was a mystical language passed down over centuries rather than the standard A.S.L. deaf people would use.

                His eyes closed as he leaned his head to one side as if he were listening to the charm. “That’s strange? I feel there is a strong connection to your parents here, but I can’t pinpoint their whereabouts. Something is intentionally interfering with my efforts. But I can tell you that they are both unharmed but feeling a bit…” his face contorted a bit, as if experiencing something uncomfortable,”-cramped, like they are trapped in a small space very close to one another.”

                All sorts of kidnapping movies played through my mind. If someone had taken them, I was a person with a unique set of skills that would find and free my parents before I tore whoever took them apart with my bare claws, talons, or tentacles.

                Ace’s eyes fluttered open. “I can’t get a location. I’m sorry. But they are alive and unharmed by what I can sense.”

                “So how do we find them?” I asked. “What could stop you from locating them?”

                “Some type of powerful ward. If we go to the party, I could ask Wizard for help. He is a very powerful adept who could overcome whatever barrier is blocking us,” Ace said.

                “How about Ms. Fae? She should be out in just a minute. She already said she would help.” I knew and trusted Ms. Fae with the secret of my true identity. Slipping at protecting my name is likely what got my parents taken. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

                “If you want to wait…” Ace shrugged as his voice trailed off. “But you know Midgardsormr isn’t going to like it if you don’t make an appearance at his party before taking off. You could kill two birds if we go there now.”

                I didn’t want just show up and leave, using my growing friendship with Midgarsormr to ask one of his teammates for help, but Ace was right. Ms. Fae was likely still celebrating her first gold win with her league in like, forever. WMD had won gold multiple times. They’d be less distracted. “OK. Let’s go.”

                Joining the other members of my league, we hurried to the WMD box. Well, they hurried, I flat-out ran. I could have changed into a cheetah or some other four-legged creature to get there faster, but my mind was on finding my parents, not the best land-speed possible for getting to a party. I arrived at the guarded entrance with quite a lead on the rest of my companions.

                One of the two BADGE agents standing outside the entrance to the elevator leading to the WMD box blocked my entrance. “Hello, hero. What is your name?”

                “I’m Madam Marvelous. Midgardsormr invited me and my league.” Last league war, I wasn’t stopped from entering. Why this time? What had Skelanimal or Midgardsormr done this time?

                “One moment please.” He stepped back and turned slightly to the wall behind him, speaking in hushed tones. “We have a Madam Marvelous here at the entrance…OK…Yes, there are others approaching as well…OK…Understood.”

                The rest of my league joined me by the time the agent’s conversation had ended. Wyldfyre elbowed my shoulder before whispering in my ear. “What’s going on? I want to get this over with A.S.A.P., you know what I mean. The sooner I deal with your B.F.F. in there, the better, sweetheart.”

                “He’s just trying to teach you some manners. Someone should,” I said sharply. It wasn’t particularly fair for me to say that to him. Wyldfyre wasn’t a bad guy, he just wasn’t a very nice one in general. Midgardsormr making him his pet project wasn’t my fault. I had bigger problems on my mind, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for being rude. “I’m sorry, Wyld. I shouldn’t have said that.”

                He grunted. “Don’t apologize for saying what you think. Takes guts, kid,” he said as he patted my shoulder. “I’ve got a mouth and I use it to say what I want. It’s other people’s problem if they don’t like what comes out of it.”

                “Is this your entire party?” the agent asked. “My roster says there should be more people in your group.”

                I glanced at Ace, not sure what to say. “Ummm… hopefully they’ll be coming later. I sort of need to speak to Midgardsormr about that topic.”

                “I’ve been instructed that your invitation isn’t t be honored unless your party is complete. I’m sorry, but you’ll need to find them to get in.” The agent moved back to his position outside the doorway.

                My mouth dropped. I needed to get in there to talk to Midgardsormr. I needed his teams help. “But… But… But…”

                “Sorry, but I have my orders,” he said with a polite smile beneath his dark sunglasses.

                “Great. I’m out of—” Wyldfyre started to turn around and walk away before the rest of my team shushed him. He crossed his arms and started to grumble under his breath.

                “Kitt’n, we can go back and find Krystal and she can you out. Or we can take one of the Star Force shuttles and head back to New Amsterdam,” Arcane Ace said. “Whatever you need.”

                I smiled weakly even though my body just wanted to drop to the floor. Here I was, a superhero, a cape, a combatant in league wars, but behind all my disguises and shapes, all I really was at the moment was a girl who wanted her mom and dad. I covered my mouth with a hand and scrunched my eyes, forcing my fear and other emotions back into their proper places. I had a job to do. I had to find my parents. And if Wizard could help me find them with Arcane Ace’s help, then I was going to see Wizard.

                Turning back to the doorway, I drew in a deep breath. “Listen here. I was invited and you are not going to—”

                The elevator door opened, and the double-sized armored figure I’d seen observing me at my fights stepped out. He swiveled at the waist and the BADGE agent’s communication device chirped.

The agent looked down, read whatever message appeared, and shrugged. “OK. You can go in now. Sorry for the hold up.”

“What? I thought we needed everyone who was invited?” I started to ask, but realizing I was going to be able to go in and find Wizard, all that came out was “Wha??!?” as I stepped into the waiting cab. Everyone else followed me in, even a cross-armed Wyldfyre and the armored figure, who must have been someone in the employ of the WMD. Maybe this was the operative who Midgardsormr had watching my matches and reporting back to him on my progress for our sparring sessions.

The doors behind us took no time at all to open as we reached the top floor where the entrance to the WMD Black Order box was. The room we all stepped into was already half-full of celebrants and staff circling with trays of hors-d’oeurves and drinks. I was caught slightly by surprise when I realized that the waiters were actual penguins wandering around the room with trays balanced on their heads with their adorable natural tuxedoes on.

“THERE YOU ARE. WHY HAVE YOU KEPT US WAITING? I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO RECITE MY NEW COMPOSITION WITH EVERYONE,” Midgardsormer said from within the room. A path between him and us opened, allowing me to see him standing near the window that overlooked the arena floor. “COME. EAT. BE MERRY. OR BE MARY. YOU ARE A SHAPESHIFTER. BE WHATEVER YOU WANT.”

I walked forward with the rest of my group in tow. “Thank you. I need to talk to Wizard first please. I need to—”

“TWAS SOON AFTER LEAGUE WARS AND ALL THROUGH THEIR LAIR NOT A WEAPON OF MD WAS TICKING NO FLAMES IN THE AIR

CHAMPION BELTS WERE ALL HUNG IN THE WAR ROOM WITH CARE

WHERE WAS THAT DAMN SNAKE THEY THOUGHT HE SHOULD SOON BE THERE

THEN SETTLED THE WEAPONS THAT COULD DESTROY MASSES

SANG BATTLE SONG LIKE BOOTS TO THEIR ASSES

THE LEAGUE SPARRED WITH DEMONS AND MONSTERS BY GOLLY

WHILE LESSER LEAGUES HUNG UP STRINGS OF HARMLESS GREENHOLLY

WHEN OUT BY THE GLACIER THERE WAS A LOUD BOOM

THE SENTINEL ALERTED DASHED OUT OF THE ROOM

TURNED ON THE NEW VIEW SCREEN

ACTIVATED THE LASERS SO GREEN

FLOOD LIGHTS WERE BRIGHT ON THE NEW FALLEN SNOW

IT LIT UP THE LIKE NOON TO SHOW ALL OBJECTS BELOW

AND WHAT TO THE DRONES LENSES DID APPEAR

THE WORLD SERPENT EATING A HERD OF REINDEER

WITH JAWS AGAPE AND AND DRIPPING WITH ACID

THE DRONES ALSO SENSED A SMELL THAT WAS RANCID

MORE RAPID THAN LIGHTNING THE DEER GUTS THEY FLEW

AND THE SNAKE HE JUST HISSED HEY BUDDIES HOW DO

NOW SKELLY NOW HOT WINGS NOW WIZARD AND DAMON

HOWDY SLAGGY AND SHADY WAKE UP AND LETS PARTY

AND OVER THE MOAT FILLED WITH LAVA AND STEAM TO THE TOP OF THE RAMPARTS

WHERE THE HELL IS MY TEAM

ON HIS BACK FULL OF FOOD AND WHISKEY AND GOOD ALMOND JOYS

ADULT BEVERAGES GREAT BEER AND SOME ADULT TOYS

THE SCRACTING AND SCRAPING OF THICK ARMORED SCALES

THE SENTINEL STOOD DOWN WENT AND GOT THEIR FAN MAIL

THE SCALES WERE RED WITH DREAM TEAMS AND THEIR BOOTS

AND HIS NOSTRIL WERE FILLED WITH BRIMSTONE AND SOOT

THE VAST PILES OF GOODIES FELL OFF OF HIS FRAME

COME ALL OF MY PALS LET'S PLAY SANTAS GAME

MY EYE SLITS ARE MERRY MY FORKED TONGUE LIKE A CHERRY

JUST ATE SOMETHING FUNNY IT WAS THAT CLOWN DOWN BY DERRY

YEP MUSHED HIM GOOD NOW HE'S LIKE SOME STRAWBERRY JELLY

NOW HE FLOATS ON TOP OF THE ACID IN MY BELLY

NOW I'M GONNA SHUT UP AND GO TO MY WORK

FILL THE GEAR ROOM WITH MORPONS GEAR AND PERKS

EXHUSTED AND HAPPY HE SMILED AND THEN HISSED

HAVE A GREAT MERRY CHRISTMAS OR I'M GONNA BE PISSED”

                The room erupted into applause. Whether it was from fear from not congratulating Midgardsormr or approval of his adaptation of the Christmas classic, I didn’t know, but I was slightly shocked by his jubilant presentation. A small voice in the back of my head informed me that Midgardsormr may have dipped into the special eggnog a bit before we arrived.

                “MUCH APPRECIATION. CLEMENT CLARK MOORE DID MOST OF THE WORK BUT I FIXED WHAT HE DID WRONG,” Midgardsormr mirthfully exclaimed before taking the faintest bow before the crowd. He began to walk over to me and my friends. “NOW YOU ARE HERE. WE GO AND SPAR”

                “Normally, I would love to, but I need some help from Wizard first, if you don’t mind,” I said. For the first time in several hours, I felt a pang of relief. Not because we made it into the party, but because Midgardsormr hadn’t said anything about my missing parents. He was so adamant in his message about them being here, I wasn’t certain how to tell him that in order to protect my identity, and them as well, I didn’t feel them being here would be wise. To keep their disappearance from becoming a talking point, I pivoted the need to our team leader. “Ace needed help with a magic question, actually, and Wizard is the best there is.”

                “What? Oh, well, yes.” Ace only stammered a little bit as he stepped next to me. “Thank you, Kitt’n. Wizard would be helpful at answering my question.”

                “BAH. YOU GO TALK TO WIZARD THEN. SHE, I, AND THE WILDMOUTH WILL GO AND TRAIN,” Midgardsormr said dismissively. “COME, OVER-TALKITIVE ONE. THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO YOUR BETTER.”

                “Whatever,” Wyldfyre said with thick disdain in his voice.

                I turned to Ace as I spoke, unsure how to handle the hiccup in our plan. “I really should stay and help Ace. It is a really important question.”

                “HE CAN RECORD A VIDEO FOR YOU TO WATCH LATER. IT IS TIME TO FIGHT NOT PARLOR TRICKS,” Midgardsormr made his way to the elevator behind us. “COME. MY TRAINING ANDROID WILL RECORD YOUR FIGHT FOR YOU TO STUDY LATER. YOU LIKE WORKING WITH ROBOTS LIKE YOUR MRS. DOUBTBOT, SO I HAVE A NEW ONE FOR YOU TO WORK WITH.”

                The extra-large armored form turned and walked behind Midgardsormr as he entered the waiting elevator cab.

                “Go,” Ace nudged me. “I have the charm, so I can scry with it and tell you what I find out as soon as we locate them. Take your mind off of it for a little while. And make sure Midgard doesn’t kill Wyld, please. Recruiting new members is such a pain in the a… neck.”

                Grudgingly, I nodded and went after my new robot and Midgardsormr. Sparring wasn’t high on my list of priorities, but protecting people was. Ace had a point when he said to keep an eye on Wyldfyre. Without me there, if the two of them fought, Midgardsormr might not show his typical restraint.

                The four of us stood in the elevator as the door closed silently. Midgardsormr grinned with his entire face as we rode down, occasionally giving Wyldfyre a bit of side-eye. When he did, Wyldfyre would sidle slightly further away as if he suddenly developed the power to phase and would pass through the metal walls to safety.

                “WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS, LITTLE ONE? I REQUESTED THAT THEY BE HERE.” Midgarsormr asked once the doors slid open.

                I wished I had the same phasing power I imagined Wyldfyre having, a strong desire to escape filling my chest. “I wasn’t able to reach them to pass on your most generous invitation, sir.”

                “THAT IS MOST UNFORTUNATE. I WANTED THEM TO BE HERE WHEN I GAVE YOU YOUR GIFT.” Midgardsormr entered the combat ring in the training room of the WMD league. Other than the four of us, nobody else was in the room. “LOUD ONE. YOU FIRST. IN THE RING.”

                Wyldfyre stepped into the ring and stood in the starting position with his arms crossed and stood there.

                “READY YOURSELF TO FIGHT. LET US SEE IF YOU HAVE THE SKILL TO BACK THE FOUL WORDS YOU SPOKE OF YOUR TEAM NOT LONG AGO.” With a warrior’s ease, Midgard readied himself to battle, lowering himself into a slight crouch as if readying to pounce.

                Without moving, Wyldfyre simple stood there, looking as bored as if he stood in a grocery checkout aisle thirty-people deep.

                “IF THIS IS HOW YOU WANT TO BE DEFEATED SO BE IT. I THOUGHT BY YOUR TONGUE FULL OF VILE WORDS YOU WOULD HAVE THE COURAGE TO PROVE YOURSELF.” Midgardsormr slammed one fist into his other arm’s waiting palm. The smack echoed throughout the room.

                “Nah,” Wyldfyre shook his head. “You’re big. You’re bad. You can certainly kick my ass, you slithering, slimy, piece of swamp scum, but you’re not going to bully me into changing my ways. So, do your worse. They’ll heal me up after you’re done. The only way you’re going to change me is to kill me. And I’m enough of a gambler to bet you won’t do that in front of your only friend here, so get it out of your system. I’m not fighting you anymore.”

                I couldn’t believe it. I knew Wyldfyre was stubborn, but this was a new level of stupidity. Midgardsormr never backed down. Everyone knew that. And I couldn’t let him murder Wyldfyre either. This needed to stop, but HOW?

                “FINE,” Midgardsormr said. “SO BE IT ON YOUR HEAD.”

                And it was. Faster than I could think of moving, Midgardsormr spun around, striking Wyldfyre against the side of his head with his tail, and throwing his body skidding off the mat onto the grated-metal floor.

                The combat droid next to me stood silently as I rushed over to my companion. I couldn’t believe what I’d witnessed, even though I knew it would happen after Wyldfyre’s comments. “What did you do? He wasn’t going to fight you and you still hit him! Why?”

                “HE GAVE ME A CHOICE,” Midgardsormr said. “I MADE THIS ONE.”

                Wyldfyre wasn’t moving. His muscular body laid there, face down with a small trail of blood smeared on the mat. I knelt beside him and checked for a pulse.

I couldn’t find one.

All the stress of my missing parents and now this built within me, becoming an inferno of rage and anger. I whirled around to face Midgardsormr, my body writhing to find a form that would be strong enough to find retribution for Wyldfyre on Midgardsormr. Waves of anger radiated off me like fire from a blast furnace. “WHY?!”

Midgardsormr looked at me and smiled. “TO GIVE YOU YOUR FIRST GIFT. LOOK TO YOUR LEFT.”

What was the crazy serpent talking about? I turned, finding a mirrored panel on the wall, and didn’t recognize my reflection. Where I should be standing, only a fiery shape remained. My body was gone. All that remained was a ball of pure fire, surrounded by tendrils of smoke as the flames melted the mat below me.

“THE MOUTH ON LEGS IS NOT DEAD, BUT POISONED IN A MANNER THAT RESEMBLES DEATH,” Midgardsormr said as he brought his tail around to his chest. A clear viscous liquid seeped from a barb on the tip of his appendage.

Wyldfyre wasn’t dead. I felt as if a wave of soothing water washed over me, and my reflection shifted from flames to a mass of clear water. I’d never been able to change into pure elements. As I had the thought, my mind returning to a sense of self over just the emotions I had been having, I reformed into my most often used form of my parent’s daughter. “You didn’t kill him?”

“HIS USEFULNESS WAS ONLY TO SHOW YOU HOW YOU MIGHT EMBRACE MORE OF YOUR ABILITIES,” Midgardsormr said. “I’D HAVE NO USE FOR THIS FOOL BEYOND THAT. KILLING ONE SUCH AS HIM WOULDN’T PROVIDE ENOUGH AMUSEMENT TO WARRANT THE USE OF MY POISONS.”

“So, showing me more of how I could use my powers was my gift?” I asked. “How did you know I could do that?”

“HOW DID YOU NOT?” Midgardsormr replied. “THAT IS BUT ONE OF YOUR GIFTS.”

I followed Midgardsormr’s gaze as he looked at the combat drone that accompanied us. “The training drone? It will be useful, I’m sure.”

“LOOK WITHIN IT,” Midgardsormr said as the chest panel to the android popped and a hatch appeared on chestplate.

I walked closer to it and pulled the hatch fully open. Within, my parents sat inside of the chest cavity holding hands. Their eyes were covered by pairs of something resembling virtual reality goggles. The android’s head looked down toward me, mimicking the movement of their heads.

“What are you doing here like that? Get back in your hero body if you want to keep coming to league wars,” Mom said sharply. “And SURPRISE!”

Dad simply waved at me, letting my mom do the talking as usual.

“I HAD THIS CONSTRUCTED SO YOUR PARENTS COULD COME TO LEAGUE WARS UNOBSERVED TO WATCH YOU,” Midgardsormr said. “SOME DAY IN THE FUTURE, THIS CONVEYANCE MAY HAVE OTHER USES, BUT FOR NOW, IT IS A MEANS BY WHICH NOBODY BESIDE I WILL BE AWARE OF WHO OR WHAT IS WITHIN. WIZARD HAS GUARANTEED THAT THE WARDING USED IS BEYOND EVEN HIS ABILITY TO PIERCE.”

My parents unbuckled themselves from the seats inside the android and climbed down to join me. Dad spoke this time as he tussled my hair. “We didn’t know it was him at the time, but last night he showed up with Ms. Fae and offered us a way to join you here on the orbital station if we wanted. Sorry we couldn’t tell you about it, but hey, that’s how surprises work, isn’t it?”

“And you’re going to have to work even harder to learn to control this new aspect of your powers. He told us what he thought you were capable of, and we agreed it might be better if you learned about them under a controlled circumstance rather than randomly where people could be hurt,” Mom said. “People other than your teammate. Are you sure he is going to be OK?”

I hugged both of them, relieved they were alive and not kidnapped. Well, sort of kidnapped, but not by evil people out to hurt them. What a day it had been. I looked over at Wyldfyre’s body. “When will he wake up?”

Midgardsormr shrugged. “I DON’T KNOW. MAYBE BY FROSTUARY?”