"This is your room." The ginger-haired girl, Anna, says while pointing at the contents.
It's small, yet luxurious in contrast. A small black-and-gold table sits next to the large window. The floor consists of marble, reflecting the ceiling light above.
The bed is queen-sized, nearly encompassing a third of the room. It's black as well, with a golden tinge to its underside.
Above the head, however, is perhaps the strangest thing I've seen thus far.
It's a golden skull, with a black Viking-style helmet fitted on top of it. I think the word for this particular style was Gjermund-something. Anyway, its jaw is open, with an axe embedded inside its mouth.
Curling around the blade, upward to the hilt, is a black vine, complete with various thorns that seemingly grip the weapon within its form.
Creepy.
"Oh. That's our Jotnar-Chime. I'm not sure what your branch had, but ours look like that. Whenever we're called, whether for an assignment or patrol duty, the skull will start chattering its teeth rapidly."
Whoever designed this needs to be executed.
"Ah. I see. Thank you…uh.."
"..."
Shit, I haven't gotten her name.
She smiles. It's a smile, but not for the reasons one might expect. Pain is present behind this smile.
"You don't even remember my name, huh? Well, it's been a couple of years."
She points at herself. I raise an eyebrow. I don't intend the expression to be so extravagant that she notices, but I'm not sure how I look right now.
"It's me, Anna Norwich… from camp…"
She looks away, her bangs obscuring her eyes. She bites her lip.
Did Axel know this girl? From what I know, he kept to himself and drowned in his own work. I didn't know Axel was the type to be playing around with women.
I have two options here.
I can say I lost my memory. That'll leave a large gap for missing information that others expect me to have. However, that opens a large gateway of problems as well. If I say that I lost my memory, the question of how exactly I've managed to maintain my position as a Forctyr Officer will inevitably arise.
The second is to lie right now and say that I know Anna. But I think the issue is clear. If I'm prompted to respond to something that I should know, that'll raise suspicion against me. Suspicion is the one thing I need to avoid at all costs, even past my own life.
Actually…
I've set a checkpoint right now, the sounds of bone cracking against my brain.
"Well, you see Anna, during the attack on our way here, I suffered intense brain damage from blunt force trauma to the head. Doctors are saying it's retrograde amnesia, although I've retained some key details about my past."
"?"
"Yes, it's unfortunate, but that doesn't mean I'll let go of my past. If anything, I'd like to remember it as well as I can."
Alright, I've planted the seeds.
"You're joking, right? This is some kind of joke. I know it is."
I shake my head.
She looks down as her eyes widen.
"You did get attacked prior to coming here."
She suddenly lifts her head upwards. "What can you remember?" She asks, her gaze shifting towards mine.
I think for a moment, my fingers convulsing.
"About Forctyr, the arising situation, and Koho. And of course, my identity as Axel Freud."
Anna looks conflicted. Well, I'd be conflicted if someone I clearly cared about in the past suddenly lost their memories. Then again, I'm not really sure how exactly I'd feel, to be honest.
Though I understand that you'd definitely feel sad.
"Sorry," I say, rubbing the back of my head.
"No, it's fine…"
She looks outside the window.
"Do you at least remember when we helped that one guy in combat basics sneak snacks into our room?"
I shake my head.
"... Our conversation?"
I shake my head.
Saying it isn't going to make me remember, dammit. Just let me be so I can go over my actual goals here. You're being annoying.
"Ah. Well, I'll leave you to it." She turns, and steps towards the door.
She leans against it, before slightly turning her head in my direction. Her green eyes reflect the setting sun behind me. I can see the shadow of the curtain behind me fluttering in the wind.
"…?"
I shake my head.
She bites her lip, before sighing.
"Dinner is in about two hours. Feel free to head downstairs if you'd like…" Suddenly, she covers her mouth with her sleeve.
"I'm sorry, I need to go."
Anna darts down the hallway, forgetting to close the door.
Man, why is she so melodramatic? Well, she is a girl. She probably liked Axel or something.
I sigh as I walk over to the door, intending to close it.
Maybe I'm being a bit too indifferent about the circumstances she's in currently, but it's really not my fault. I'm just trying to preserve my life in a potentially dangerous situation.
Something catches my eye in the far end of the corner.
…
That orange haired guy from earlier is…
Staring at me.
While he engages in conversation with that black-haired elf person, he's glaring at me. He's staring daggers onto me, as if he'll launch the sword on his back at me in any second. A chill runs down my back.
I blink.
He resumes the conversation with the elf, his eyes focused on his companion.
I quickly shut the door.
Sweat begins trailing down my face as I lean against the door. I desperately search for a lock, my hand traveling across the door's various curves, before settling on a small switch on the doorknob. Pressing it down with my thumb, a click rings out.
What the hell?
What the hell?
Does he suspect me?
No, there's no way, right?
How the hell could he even possibly suspect me? I haven't even done anything yet. I'm overthinking this.
I run my hand through my hair, my bangs falling to my face.
Furthermore, I haven't said it yet, but I'm overly paranoid. Despite me fighting to get to this position, it doesn't betray the utter fear I feel at this moment. I feel like the room is full of eyes, staring at me, but every time I'm gazed at—my life is at risk.
I can't crack, not for a moment.
I must be perfect.
Pressure does not exist for me.
I walk backward, before flopping onto my bed. I bounce up momentarily as the bed creaks.
So, I've successfully managed to infiltrate Forctyr. It was easier than I thought, actually. I'm not going to conflate the explanation like a Wikipedia page, but just to summarize the events briefly:
Loki is apparently in kahoots with El Sombra, something that surprised me. Yes, the same Loki we all know and love. Thing is, he isn't green; he's instead some humanoid with a deer skull complete with two black horns. He's also super snarky for some reason.
Anyway, Loki has the ability to mess with someone's 'perception', so he managed to perform Sorcery—which only 'Heroes' have access to—on secure archivists that run Asgardian military documents and records. By doing that, he managed to convince them that he secretly ran a branch of Forctyr that was stationed within Midgard.
On paper, that sounds insanely difficult, but for him, it really isn't.
I'm used to seeing Functions usually needing some sacrifice due to the Equivalence Law, but so far, from what I'm observing, these Heroes can just do cool stuff you'd see in a shōnen manga without any repercussions.
I'm not saying they haven't given anything up; I'm saying I can't see it at the moment.
Oh, by the way, Heroes are titles given to those who are 'blessed' by a Celestial.
The heroes of Asgard consist of Thor, Loki, Frigg, Ullr, and Vali. The only Celestial present is Odin, who's dying at the moment.
As you'd expect, Loki isn't really considered a part of the heroes of Asgard, but under the objective definition, he is. Loki hangs around in Midgard a lot, and just kind of plots or something, I don't know.
I do know that there were a bunch of scuffles between Loki and Thor, but for the sake of my infiltration: They get 'along' now.
I roll onto my back.
My hand reaches into my pocket and pulls out two things, letting them hang above my head, the ceiling serving as a backdrop. The third item is too large for me to remove, as it's a revolver of sorts, standard issue for Forctyr.
I gaze up as two small items gaze back at me.
A small screwdriver that seems to be bone in nature, as well as a more defined black dagger.
My Severant, which is the screwdriver, and the weapon El Sombra had granted me to eliminate my objective. My objective is discovering the location of either Huginn or Muninn, Odin's crows that are singlehandedly keeping the city intact.
While it seems like I'm destroying a city, It's for a righteous reason. It'll get rid of Odin, who contributes to the issue of the world continuing to destroy itself.
I roll back to my stomach, putting the items back in my pockets in the process.
I'm alone at this moment. There's no external conversation with the one who sent me here, nor with Loki himself. I shouldn't even consider Loki a shoulder to rely on, as even El Sombra has an iffy relationship with him.
And in El Sombras words: "It is better for you to end your own life rather than work for him."
Creepy.
…
Alright. My first move on this chess board is to find out details about Odin's crows.
Obviously, just asking around would warrant suspicion, as even though I'm part of the Forctyr, I don't belong to the main city. A pseudo-outsider asking questions about potentially sensitive information that only those deep within would know would warrant suspicion.
The best way to approach this then would be…
I yawn.
Man I'm getting tired of this world salad.
I guess I'll take a nap until dinner or whatever.
Shifting my legs onto the bed, I curl up my body. I don't bother to use the sheet, as even though it's cold, I'm not freezing.
My eyes close, drifting off to sleep.
____________________________________________________________________________
"Anna? Anna? Are ya all right?"
The blurry visage of Litwich morphed in Anna's vision as she squinted.
"Anna!"
The world fixed itself, morphing into a clear image. A boy, concerned for Anna, stood in front of her, shaking her shoulders.
"Are ya alright?" Litwich asked.
Anna gazed at the ground for a moment, taking in her surroundings. Grass was at the bottom, flowing in the wind. The stone-cold pavement was in front of it, where Anna stood on top of.
Within the pavement however, lingered a yellow and brown fluid, scattering across the ground as if water. A smell akin to rot floated along the air, entering Anna's nostrils.
That was right.
She had run outside and vomited.
That was right.
Axel had actually forgotten his memory.
He forgot everything.
A promise, a hug, a conversation. They were nothing, as only Anna remembered it. At some point, it would cease to exist.
Anna wiped her mouth with her sleeve, exhaling. Her back then straightens as she rises up to her feet, before turning to Litwich. A smile extends from her face.
"Yep, I'm all good."
Litwich, however, exemplifies the exact opposite spirit Anna holds on his face. His eyebrows pressed against the lids of his eyes, while his teeth chattered against each other. Furls in his nose formed from the sheer anger present.
"… That bastard… What did he do to you?!"
"He didn't do anything, Litwich. I understand why'd you be mad, but the reason I ran out the room was because…"
"..."
"... Your cooking sucks!!"
"Hah?!"
"Whatever you tried to get me to taste the other day, it decided to exit my body today! Idiot!"
Anna closed one eye and pulled on the other downward, as well as stick her tongue out.
"Followed the recipe as close I could!" Litwich cried.
Anna chuckled, before wiping a tear from her eye. It was clear she had returned to normal, as if nothing happened. At least to the untrained eye.
Litwich was not untrained.
However, choosing to keep his friend at a constant medium of emotion, he chose to drop his anger.
"..."
Anna turns, before gazing at the sky. The sky in question, has mixed night and sunset, forming a heterogeneous color of sorts. Asgard was known for its colorful sky, but tonight, it seemed to be particularly extravagant.
"Litwich."
"?"
"If something that you really cared about in the past suddenly came out one day broken, what would you do?"
Litwich gazed at the girl of his dreams.
"I'd try ta fix it. Don't matter how much a part of me thinks it's useless. Even if it was broken to the point past recognition, I'd try to fix it to at least my understanding."
"Hm."
"That's a little too melodramatic for me…"
"Yer the one that asked!"
Anna sighed.
"...Axel lost his memories."
"Huh?"
"You heard me. He's lost all his memories from the attack prior to coming to Asgard."
"How'd y'know he ain't lyin?"
The girl suddenly turns around, a hurt, but equally furious expression crossing her features. Whatever had just been sad had seemed to personally afflict her. This much was clear.
"Axel wouldn't lie! I can tell… I can tell he's not the same as before."
Her fingers clench.
"His eyes are much more relaxed and lack that sharp edge. He's formal in his speech. It's like he's lost his identity and was trying to make up for it."
Litwich bit his tongue.
His words were going to hold the phrase; 'How do you know that's even Axel.' But judging by his partners emotional state, he decided to not utter them. Instead, he clenched his fists.
"I've never seen ya like this, Anna. Why're ya so dramatic about this? What was your relationship with him?"
"…Let's just say: Axel is the reason why I am the person I am today."
The vagueness of that statement twisted the understanding of Litwich Frogel to no end. Did Anna not trust Litwich? Did she view him from a faraway lens? Was he undeserving of such information?
Litwich clenched his teeth.
Despite knowing her for almost five years, did Anna still see him as nothing more than an object in her life?
Why?
Why was he in the same position he started at?
Why?
"I understand." Litwich grunted through his clenched teeth. A false chimera of emotions that had been built to mask what he had truly been feeling.
____________________________________________________________________________
My eyes open.
The sound of knocking against the door is the culprit. It's loud, yet methodical in nature, as if the one behind it was aware of the circumstances within. The individual knocking however, has no choice but to wake up the one inside.
I glance at the window.
The black sheet known as night covers the entire sky, the black moon framed directly in the middle. The spots in the sky, known as stars, accentuate the entropy of the backdrop. The curtains flutter from the slight breeze blowing past.
Placing my hand on my side, I push myself up to sit.
Rubbing my tired face, I'm almost about to slick my hair backwards, but I remember the fact that I'm undercover. Oh, by the way, I've got white hair and scarlet eyes now. Pretty cool, right?
Anyway, I stand up, place all the items scattered around the bed in my pocket, and sigh.
I open the door.
The black haired elf, Scout stands in front of me. His hair is long, nearly trailing down to his torso. His eyes are a luminous shade of yellow, reflecting in the light from the hallway.
Behind him, the red and brown of the hallway merge together in a nice conflection of color.
"Mr Freud, is it?"
"Uh, yeah. You're Scout right?"
"That is correct. It is nice to formally meet you."
"Likewise."
I take his hand, and shake it.
He's a good-looking fellow, nearly androgynous in appearance. The type of guy girls would lose their mind over just by one appearance. I feel like if he had white hair like mine, he'd be able to pull a girl within two seconds.
Not that I'm saying he can't currently though.
"Dinner is being served at the moment. if you'd like, please follow me."
I nod.
"All right."
He takes a step to the right, allowing me to step forward. Once I do, I close the door behind me, and begin following Scout. It's quiet and we're the only ones in the hallway at this moment.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel awkward.
"... So. Scout. How long have you been stationed here?"
He thinks for a moment.
"About three years so far. I joined the Commercial Branch at the age of sixteen."
Ah, so he's only nineteen. Wow, talk about child soldier.
"What do you enjoy about Forctyr?"
"Well, to be honest, the relationships I've made here. Prior to transferring here, I was mostly alone at the academy. But I've made lifelong friendships here."
He inches his head slightly in my direction as he walks.
"What about you, Mr Freud?"
His formal tone and the way he addresses me reminds me of Kors for some reason.
…
Never mind.
Wait! I need to answer his question! Dammit, I need to come up with a fake story on the spot—
He shakes his head as he smiles. "Ah, I am sorry. I had forgotten that you had lost your memory."
I mentally sigh out of relief.
"Do you recall anything about the attack in specific? Perhaps faces or events?"
I shake my head.
"It's honestly a blur. The last thing I remember is waking up in an open field, my dead comrades corpses surrounding me. Oh yeah, and I remember Loki telling me who I was."
Scout sighs.
"Such an attack on Asgardians outside the gate would be unthinkable just ten years ago. As soon as our generation manages to reach the age of joining the government, such things occur. Not to mention the disappearances of our people."
His hand clenches.
"I do not know what his majesty Thor is doing at the moment, but I wish for him to stop this oncoming madness. I also pray for Father Odin to recover."
We walk past two Forctyr officers conversing, their standard issue helmets covering their faces.
"Disappearances?" I ask.
"Forctyr officers have been mysteriously vanishing lately. Such events usually occur in the left wing of the city, but it is still a risk. Our specific branch has been tasked with investigating it, but recently a member of ours had disappeared. I believe we will return to the standard issue of business by tomorrow, however."
"I see."
I'm inclined to ask about Odin's crows, but the realization that I haven't been here for a day yet sets into my mind. I'll ask later, but soon. I don't know my time limit for this operation, so it's more nerve-racking than usually having one.
The orange haired fellow suddenly comes into view, leaning against the wall. His head is down, and his arms are crossed.
"Litwich? Shouldn't you be heading to the cafeteria?" Scout asks.
Litwich rests his pose before smiling.
"Scout, c'mere for a second."
Scout turns around, looks at me, then looks at Litwich. He nods.
"Please continue on without me, Mr. Freud. The cafeteria is just down the hall."
"Alright."
Scout walks over to Litwich, a confused expression on his face.
As I walk past the two of them, a chill runs down my spine, reverberating across my entire body. Sweat begins accumulating in the corners of my form, collecting into droplets that run down it. My eyes start shaking as well.
Do they suspect me?
I noticed Litwich eyeing me multiple times earlier. Is he suspicious of me? But again, I haven't done anything yet. As I walk, I try my best to avoid communicating to the two that I'm trying to listen to their conversation.
The words 'Check', and 'Memory' become apparent to me.
Scout did say that he knew I lost my memory. The only other person who knew that was Anna. Not even Mjolnir knew such information. Did Anna tell everyone here?
But then why would Litwich suspect me? Was he the only one that didn't buy it?
"Axel."
My mind stops.
"Come here for a moment."
Litwich calls.
If I run, I'm dead.
As I walk towards them, I rapidly observe my surroundings.
We're on an elevated area, with a railing to my left. The drop isn't that crazy, so I'd be able to jump over it if needed. There's a window nearby too, but I'm worried about the altitude. This base is located on a large hill. Actually, I don't even think I'll be able to break through any window. They're made out of nearly bulletproof glass.
Before I even know it, I'm standing in front of the two.
Scout is holding something in his right hand. It's long and translucent in nature. I can't make it out.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Do not worry, Litwich will not stop bothering me to do this to you. I am not hurting you at all."
I'm about to run. I've been caught. I'm dead.
Wait.
Scout cannot kill me. Even Litwich can't either. I'm part of their team. If there was an order to kill me, it'd probably be ordered by someone like Mjolnir, a higher-ranking officer. Besides, why the hell would I be killed over losing my memory?
I'm overthinking this.
Scout raises his arm.
Something brushes against my hair for a moment, causing Scout to close his eyes.
My eyes glance at Litwich, who glares back at me. I'm starting to get sick of this constant animosity towards me. Choosing to reflect my emotions on my face, I widen my eyes slightly, to try and intimidate him.
Suddenly–
"Hgakhh!!!"
Scout bends over and hurls, the liquids splattering onto the ground. The red carpet is painted a sickly brown.
"Scout! What the hell happened?!" Litwich yells, placing his arms on his friends shoulders in an attempt to help him.
"W-Who are you?"
I look at Scout's face.
…..
He's terrified. Creases accentuate the fear and confusion on his face. His eyes vibrate in their sockets while his body shakes. He raises his hand and points at me.
"...Kaito of Sable Veil!!"
He turns and hurls again.
"Sable Veil?! The mercenary organization?!" Litwich yells.
FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!
I'm caught!!
"Pyraethon-5, Flash!!" I bite into my palm, drawing blood.
A large flash of light encompasses the area in seconds, blinding everyone present. It's the perfect amount of time for me to dart away.
My eye quickly shoots toward the railing to my left.
Launching my body forward, I vault over the railing, my feet upwards. Wind blows past my hair, causing it to flutter. My gaze shifts down as I soar in the air.
"All units, take down the white haired guy!!" Litwich roars behind me.
A small table is under me at the moment, nothing else. If I land, it's got to be on top of the table. It'll hurt, but won't be as taxing to fall on.
Bracing my arms in front of me, I collapse on top of said table, which shatters upon contact. Dust shoots in every direction. A horrendous sound soon follows after, dragging the attention of those that were not even aware of the situation.
With no time to linger, I quickly get up and begin my run towards the exit, that being the nearest window.
Once I break through—
Wait! The windows are bulletproof! The nearest exit is too far away.
"Damned bastard! I'll catch ya!" Litwich roars… from above?
I glance upwards.
In the air, Litwich reels back his arm, a horrendously large sword in its grasp.
I roll to the side.
Litwich comes down, slamming the sword on the ground. A brief shockwave follows, causing my vision to shake slightly.
Dammit. I need a way to ensure my escape. Just running isn't going to cut it.
I glance back at the area I was in before I jumped, by the railing.
Scout stands on top, his face still visibly in pain, yet with a white bow in his hand. It's plant-like in nature, despite being white. Strangely, there's nothing where an arrow should be.
I don't have time to make out the details, but he's clearly reeling the bowstring backward, preparing to fire at me.
These two are Severers for sure.
Alright, back to my insurance. My eyes travel around, utilizing the precious seconds remaining before I'm cut down. A girl stands behind me, shaking in visible fear.
I recognize her. She's the same timid-looking girl from when I first met the Forctyr members. I think her name was Freya…
I lunge at Freya, the standard issue Forctyr gun in hand. I quickly spin around her and push the weapon's barrel against the side of her head. My arm wraps around her neck as well, securing her in place.
"Hieee!"
"Back off! Or else I'll blow her brains out!!" I yell.
I'm not actually going to hurt her. I just need to secure a way out to the nearest exit. The hallway I'm in currently seems to have one, but I'm kind of going off on a whim here. Still, time is running out.
Litwich stops his assault, pulling back his sword.
"I was suspicious of ya the moment I saw yer face! Not to mention making Anna cry! I won't forgive ya! I should have acted on that feeling the moment I felt it!!"
"Too late, dumbass!" I yell back.
I say that, but the mission's been completely failed by me. Perhaps I only said it in an attempt to satiate my ego.
Fourteen footmen begin accumulating in front of me and on my sides. All are outfitted in armor, their weapons in hand. They shout various commands, ranging from cursing at me to ordering me to stand down.
This is a shit show.
I glance behind me. There's no one there. I'm not at risk of being surprised from the back.
I step backward, Freya still within my blade's grasp.
Her shoulders begin shaking up and down. A small 'uwahh' sound begins leaving her lips as I realize what's going on.
"Please… Hic…I don't wanna die…"
She's crying.
She's in a field where death constantly surrounds her, yet still cries when placed in a position like this? What the hell?! Quit it!
Suddenly—
"Schkk!!!"
"---Hahh!?!"
Something enters my skull, puncturing my cranium. It's explosive, ringing throughout my entire body. I can only feel a split second of immense pain before the motor systems within me lose all power.
I can't think; my brain's oxygen is being cut off.
I can't stand any longer.
The world is fading away.
I collapse to the ground, the sound of Freya's scream reverberating in my ears.
Scout… shot me…with an arrow…
The earth goes dark.
╔════════════════════════════╗
||L I F E E X P U R G A T E D||
"Cranial Perforation "
╚════════════════════════════╝