"Excellent work," Visscher said, gazing down at their captives. "You've redeemed yourself, Dino."
Dino snorted. "Was there any doubt? Besides, they're only a bunch of kids."
Johan struggled against his bonds, but a kick from a nearby guard convinced him to stop. The guard's eyes promised further violence if Johan attempted any further funny business. With some reluctance, he complied.
The Ymir bigwig ignored this alteration, continuing their conversation. "Well, who are they?"
"Some gang called the Jotnar," Dino replied with a shrug. "No one interesting. They still haven't told me why they snuck into our secret lab, but I'll find out." Johan had the bruises to prove it, but he'd spilled nothing. Whether it was stupidity or nobility, he didn't know.
"What about Fenrir? Have they told you anything?"
"Afraid not. Eirik is still searching, though. I get the strong suspicion that they were looking for her too."
"Not as useful as I hoped. Learn what you can, then dispose of them." Visscher left without another word.
Their captors dragged the Jotnars into the basement of some random building Johan couldn't identify. Ymir had taken them to a safe house, a nice, quiet place to do their dirty business without drawing attention. It wasn't anything attractive — a bare room with several pieces of furniture.
"Talk."
Johan grunted in pain when a nearby thug kicked him in the stomach, leaving him gasping for air.
"Leave him alone!" Rebecca gave the thugs an angry glare.
"You killed two of my buddies." Samuel's voice lowered to a growl, his gaze seething with hatred toward Dino. "Once I get free, there's nowhere you can hide. A bullet in the brain for each."
"Not talking? Oh. well. There's a back room we can lock them in. A couple of days without food or water should loosen their tongues." Dino studied them before breaking into a broad smile. "I wonder. It's a long shot, but it's worth a try."
"Sir?" a goon asked.
"Van, I want you to send a secure message to each head of Ymir about the Jotnar's capture."
Van blinked in confusion. "Why? They already know about it."
"True, but I have a hunch," Dino replied, beaming ear to ear. "Fenrir learned about our secret lab somehow. I suspect our company emails aren't nearly secure enough. I wager that's how she found out."
"Makes sense." Van nodded in agreement. "I'll send word."
Dino gave the thug's shoulder an affectionate slap. "Good man. With any luck, she'll come running to their rescue. I bet she's overconfident enough to come, even if she suspects a trap! Besides, it'll save us the torture, which I'm not a fan of."
Johan's ears burned in shame. Now Yareli would be in trouble, and it was all his fault.
"Over here," Samuel whispered, gesturing with his tied hands. With a surreptitious scoot, Johan crept closer to his friend. Too busy with their conversation, the Ymir thugs didn't notice Johan loosening his friend's bonds.
Before Samuel could return the favor, the Ymir thugs returned their attention to their captives. They played innocent. Johan thanked God the goons didn't notice how slack the ropes were around Samuel's hands. Now they only needed to wait for the best opportunity to turn the tables.
---
"We found something, boss!" Hakan said in excitement. While he appeared like an empty-headed brute, the man sported a keen mind with a deep love for both sports and computers. He'd earned a reputation for breaking into several government-level computer systems without getting caught.
"What is it?" Selim tilted his head with interest. Since learning about Ymir's secret project, he'd had his best hacker working to uncover more information. Unfortunately, Ymir had tightened their security since Jotnar's botched job. Still, no security system was perfect. Ymir would slip somewhere. Selim could afford to be patient.
"It seems they're putting the heat on the Jotnars! Poor them." Hakan snickered at the rival gang's misfortune. As he read further, the hacker's merriment turned to confusion. "Fenrir?"
"Fenrir? Like in mythology?" According to legend, the mighty wolf would slay Odin, the Allfather, during Ragnarök — the climatic battle at world's end. Why the message mentioned the mythological wolf was beyond Selim.
"This isn't the only email mentioning that word. Whoever they are, Ymir wants them," Hakan replied.
"This mentions a safe house." Selim peered over his lackey's shoulder, rereading the message. Apparently, this hidey-hole was where Ymir was keeping the Jotnar.
"It seems like a trap to me. Why else mention the safe house? It's too convenient."
"It's a ploy to lure out this mysterious Fenrir?" A sly grin stretched across Selim's face. "If so, we should take advantage of it."
"What about the monsters, boss?" Kevin shuddered, remembering their encounter with the spider monster.
"Never fear. I already have a plan for that." While Ymir was a wealthy corporation with deep pockets, the Niflhel fought dirty. If this operation proved successful, they'd possess one of Ymir's wondrous armbands. After that, nothing would be beyond his means.
---
"Yareli!"
"What is it?" Yareli turned as Gramps barged into her studio. Alarm bells rang in her head when she caught his expression.
"Come and see."
After carefully placing down her palette and removing her apron, she followed. Random colors spotted her biker suit like droplets of rain, but she didn't mind.
"Feels like a trap," an associate on the internet had brought it to Gramps' attention. Yareli had never met this person, but apparently, they worked for a newspaper. The two were pooling their resources to investigate Ymir's suspicious activity.
"Must be." Gramps snorted, nodding in agreement. "Worse, they're using those young people to lure you into the open."
"Looks like I don't have a choice but to spring it. I can't abandon them." She rushed back to her studio, retrieving her helmet. Before Yareli could leave, Gramps stopped her with a hand.
"Wait, there's something you should know. Your Ragnadriver has a special feature that might prove useful. I uncovered it in the files you stole." His eyes twinkled with mischief. "It'll be a nasty surprise for Ymir."
---
"Be careful, and good luck," Gramps said as Yareli mounted her bike.
"I will. I'll be back soon — with guests, hopefully," she replied.
"I'll have coffee prepared for them when you get back!" Gramps waved as she rode off.
Despite the dangers, Yareli was excited. It was the same thrill she'd felt when facing the bear monster. For some unknown reason, battle always inflamed her. Despite only being a skeleton, she possessed a fighter's reflexes and instincts. Martial skills were second nature to her. Yareli wondered if it hinted at something about her past. She'd continued her training, hoping it might revive some dormant memories. Despite not having muscles, Yareli enjoyed the exercise.
"It's funny. It's like destiny drew me to the Ragnadriver." The duffel bag with said device hung over her shoulder within easy reach. She suffered no illusions about what Ymir would throw against her to retrieve it.
"It's time to knock some heads together."
---
"Is this the place?" Yareli crouched behind an alley, peering at what appeared on the surface to be an old, abandoned apartment building. There wasn't any sign of anyone inside. While nicer than most of downtown Bifrost, the building still resided in a slum. People around here minded their own business, pointedly ignoring the woman in a biker outfit covered in paint.
Boards covered most of the building's doors, but Yareli noticed an unlocked garage door. Closer inspection revealed it in working order, more pristine than anything else in the building. It left her with a quandary, however.
"Time to enter the beast's jaws." Yareli considered the boarded-up doors. "Maybe I should slip around instead. Anything to avoid being predictable." While Ymir's goons would likely expect this, it was better than nothing.
With some effort, the boards guarding the back door snapped free. Dust shattered in a cloud everywhere as she entered. What greeted her inside was a rundown corridor. She found a staircase leading up, wondering where Ymir might keep Johan and the others. The only sound in the building was the soft tap of her footsteps.
Without a better plan, she explored the first floor first, keeping her steps as quiet as possible. Yareli studied each door, looking for signs of use. The building was only two stories, leaving the Ymir thugs little room to hide.
Her cursory scan of the floor revealed nothing. From the dust, nobody had used this floor in some time. It seemed unlikely her luck would improve on the second. The stairway door leading into the parking garage caught her attention. She winced when the door squealed open and found a stairway leading down.
Before she could explore further, the sound of footsteps caught her attention. The intruders entered the same door Yareli had broken down earlier. Multiple footsteps approached, Yareli slipping behind a nearby doorway as cover.
A gaunt young man led a procession of rough-looking gangers. From the bulges in their clothes, each packed a concealed weapon.
The Niflhel? Why are they here? While she'd never tangled with the infamous gang in person, she'd heard plenty stories about them. They were a rough group, led by a psycho named Selim. From a cursory glance at their leader, it was obvious how he'd earned that reputation. Something about his eyes troubled Yareli.
"Sure this is the place?" one ganger said. He peered around, expecting trouble at any moment.
"They're here. I can sense it," Selim replied. "Racer Wolf came here for a reason." While the gang kept their voices low, Yareli's sharp hearing picked up every word.
"Think she's the Fenrir the message mentioned?" a gang member asked. "I suppose it fits."
"Hard to say, but we'll learn soon enough." Suddenly, Selim raised his voice. "Well? Are you Fenrir?"
Much to her shock, Yareli realized the Niflhel leader was addressing her. After some hesitation, she wearily showed herself.
"Why are you here?" Yareli asked. "It's dangerous."
"So you can speak. Some of us figured you were mute," Selim replied, ignoring her warning. "I take it you're here to rescue Johan and his little buddies?"
"I am." Yareli had no desire to dance around the issue. "Ymir kidnapped them to lure me out. They're after my life."
Despite her emphasis on the dangers, the Niflhel seemed unperturbed. Instead, they appeared eager for action. Yareli remained wary..
"We have a common interest. I don't want to see the Jotnar get hurt either. We go way back. How about we team up?"
"Sorry?"
"They after you, right? You'll need backup. You draw their attention, and we'll strike when Ymir turns their back."
Despite his words, Yareli sensed the Niflhel leader wasn't sincere about helping Johan. While scum, she had no desire to get the Niflhel killed.
"I can handle myself, but you can provide backup if you wish. Wait here for five minutes, then you can rush in and help me. I'm sure you'll catch Ymir completely by surprise."
She hoped the sight of monsters would make them flee in terror and wouldn't tempt them to do anything stupid.
The Niflhel leader shrugged. "I can work with that. Get going. We don't know what shape Johan and his friends are in." No compassion or worry crept into his voice, his sly grin raising her hackles.
She cursed, wishing the fools would listen to reason. After a steadying moment, she forgot Niflhel, focusing on her mission instead. Ymir wouldn't be as sloppy in their next tussle.
Her steps echoed down the empty stairwell as she crept down the stairs. At the bottom floor was a simple doorway that squeaked painfully as she pushed it open. Yareli peeked out, finding an empty parking lot illuminated by the dim light. After finding nobody in sight, she slipped through the door and walked deeper into the parking area. She passed a car wash station and brightened when she noticed a singular car parked in a far corner.
Suddenly, spotlights flashed on, their harsh lights blinding her. Massive steps stomped toward her, taking advantage of her distraction. Gashes tore into her suit as she instinctively rolled away from unseen claws, the gap revealing her skeletal spine.
As her vision adjusted to the sudden change in light, a massive spider monster towered over her. Like the man from yesterday, the creature wore an armband across one of his multiple arms. The monster swiped toward her again, but she slipped aside and attached her belt across her waist.
"Henshin!" Light flashed, and her armor appeared over her body.
"See, Eirik, the girl's good." The accented man from yesterday emerged from a nearby stairway door. He wore an eye patch over his injured eye, but otherwise seemed hale.
"She's slick. I'll give you that." The spider monster flexed its arms, pumping his enthusiasm for the upcoming fight. "Hurry and transform, Dino. If you haven't forgotten, we have a job to do."
Dino released a theatrical sigh before attaching a new armband and withdrawing his Uhyre Key. "Got it. Terrorize!"
The bear monster sent a swift claw strike toward her midsection, but sparks flew as the bladed weapons intercepted the blow. She grunted as he pushed her back, his muscles bulging with the effort. The spider monster attacked her from her blind spot, but Yareli leapt upwards, away from Eirik's four-pronged assault. Fenrir retreated as her opponents fought together, attempting to overwhelm her.
Yareli blocked every attack she could, but the spider monster's multitude of arms was impossible to deflect completely. Each blow made her body shudder from the impact. She spun in midair after failing to block a punch from Eirik, sending her flying across the parking lot. Her fist tore pavement as she thrust it into the chipped road, halting her flight.
Her eyes caught Niflhel watching the battle with scared, fascinated eyes from a distance. Yareli eyed her opponents warily, wondering how she'd match their combined might. Should she use her ace now? The situation seemed desperate enough. No — she'd wait for a more opportune time. Instead, she charged forward, half of a plan forming in her mind.
While her opponents were quick, Fenrir was faster. She dove between them, and they recoiled in pain when her claws slashed at Eirik's right leg and her sword sliced Dino's chest. The bear creature snapped his fangs, but Yareli slipped out of their reach. Eirik took advantage of her momentary distraction and swiped at her rolling form with a meaty fist. As her blade caught the blow, Dino charged toward her — but he walked right into her trap.
When she pulled back her sword's hilt, the weapon changed, opening up to reveal a barrel. Dino's eyes widened when he came face-to-face with her newly transformed gun. Energy bolts flew from the barrel, driving the bear creature off course and barreling him into a nearby wall.
Furious at his ally's plight, the spider monster swiped his multi-limbed claws toward her. With a sudden twist of her hand, Fenrir's gun returned to its sword form. She ducked under his attacks, swiping her blade across his midsection. As Eirik staggered in pain, she reverted her weapon to its gun form, peppering her opponent's face with bolts.
"Nasty trick. You're full of surprises." Flecks of dust fell from the bear monster's hideous, bulbous head as he pulled himself free. Despite the injuries she'd inflicted, neither of her opponents seemed ready to surrender.
"This isn't over!" The bear monster placed his extending claws against a wall, and ice crept over its surface. Frigid air shot from his mouth, emitting plumes of white mist.
"Again?" What was going on? Somehow, Dino's mastery of his Uhyre Key grew stronger after every exchange.
After another roar, Dino charged forward and swung his claws. A wave of frigid air struck Yareli, freezing her against a wall. Despite Fenrir's tremendous strength, the ice resisted her best efforts. A wall cracked on impact when the bear monster slammed his head into Yareli's helpless form. She struggled to regain her footing, but icy breath struck her body before she could recover, freezing her in place.
"Incredible!" Eirik said, his voice awed. "Somehow, your key is reacting and making you more powerful! I wonder…" The spider's monstrous mandibles twisted in consternation as he gathered into himself.
"Oh, crap!" She couldn't afford to fight two super-powerful monsters. Yareli twisted her gun, blasting the ice freezing her in place. The bolts shattered the ice shattered, allowing her to leap away. Her weapon pointed toward the spider monster, wondering what threat it might pose. Instead, Eirik almost toppled over in pain. Yareli tilted her head in confusion.
"What's the matter?" Dino asked.
"Impossible," Eirik replied, his monstrous voice pained. "Why can't I push past my limits?" Furious, he charged forward, planning to trample his opponent.
Yareli calmly jumped out of his path and inserted her Uhyre Key into her weapon midair. Energy gathered around the barrel of her weapon, directing her attention at the spider monster's exposed back.
"Death Spike."
Red-hot energy lanced into the spider monster. Eirik crashed into a nearby wall, leaving a deep crater. The intense heat from the shot melted the pavement behind him. The man untransformed and bent over, coughing blood.
"You fool, we're meant to fight together." Dino eyed Yareli warily, wondering if he should continue the fight.
"Excuse me."
Yareli glanced toward the newcomer, wondering if it was another monster to fight. She froze upon finding Arend Visscher pointing a pistol at Johan's head. The Jotnar's hands were bound, and he struggled with his restraints.
"Sir?" Dino asked in surprise.
"Sorry to interrupt the battle, but I don't intend on losing." Visscher gestured with his free hand, and several men in black suits appeared, each holding a gun to one of Johan's friends.
Annoyance appeared on Dino's monster bear features, but he shrugged and returned to his human form. "That settles that, I suppose."
"I shouldn't need to remind you what happens if you don't cooperate," Visscher's gun barrel pressed hard into the younger man's forehead.
"What do you want?" Unlike Dino, Yareli remained in her Fenrir armor, considering her options. "Surrender my belt? Come with you?"
"Both. You're an interesting subject of study." Visscher pulled his gun away from Johan's head and directed it toward a leg instead. "You have three seconds to untransform, or I'm shooting him apart, piece by piece, Kamen Rider." Fear filled the young man's features, giving her a helpless, pleading look.
"Fine." Yareli spat out the word and pulled her pendant from her weapon, returning her to normal.
"Toss your belt here." Visscher's voice offered no objection or compromise. Yareli complied as instructed.
"Grab her." Visscher gestured to one of the suited thugs, who scampered over in her direction. The man approached with a confident swagger, but his eyes remained wary, prepared for trouble.
"You okay, Eirik?" Dino asked.
"I'll live." Eirik froze as he spotted Selim and his buddies watching from behind a door. "Who the hell?"
As their hiding spot's door flew off its hinges, the Niflhel opened fire, uncaring who they hit. Dino scrambled away on all fours, using the nearby car wash center as cover. Visscher wasn't so lucky, clutching at a sudden bullet wound to the chest. Johan ducked his head, quaking as bullets zipped by. Thankfully, Johan's friends were lucky, the Ymir thugs pulling them toward the safety of the stairwell. The goons returned fire, the parking garage becoming a bloodbath.
Yareli jerked as bullets struck her, but they didn't appear to cause any damage. She darted forward toward her belt, ignoring the rain of gunfire around her. She used her body to cover Johan, absorbing the gunshots. While it amazed her that the bullets didn't shatter her skeletal form, Yareli had more urgent problems to contend with.
In a single motion, she returned the Ragnadriver to her waist. Before she could activate it, a random bullet knocked her pendant from her hand. It slid some distance away. Yareli cursed, but didn't dare move for Johan's sake.
Eirik crawled toward Yareli's fallen Uhyre Key and received a bullet to the neck for his trouble. He twitched for several moments, gargling blood, before going terribly still. A man yelped in surprise when Samuel pushed him from their hiding spot toward the open parking lot. The Ymir thug gasped in surprise as the suddenly free prisoners jumped him. The thug scrambled to recover and flee to safety, but Selim shot him through the forehead for his trouble.
Seeing a sudden lapse in the gunfire, Yareli took her chance. An opening! "Hold on."
"What?" The Jotnar flailed as Yareli grabbed him by the collar and flung him across the room. Johan crashed through the doorway to his friends' hiding spot. A Ymir thug yelped in surprise as Johan collided with him. Samuel used this opportunity to steal the man's guns and decked the thug. More Ymir agents died in droves, eliminated until only Dino remained.
"Hold." The shooting stopped as the Niflhel leader stepped forward, darting toward the cowering Dino.
Before the Ymir agent could struggle to his feet, a boom echoed through the underground parking lot as Selim shot him point-blank in the chest. The poor man gasped in pain and collapsed, but Yareli spotted the rising and falling of his chest. Unlike the CEO, he'd been wearing a bulletproof vest. Gingerly, the Niflhel leader removed Dino's armband. A devilish grin appeared on his face as he attached it to his own arm. He picked up Dino's Bear Uhyre Key, but it landed with an audible clank as he discarded it.
"Sir?" a Niflhel asked in confusion.
"It doesn't suit me." Instead, Selim retrived the Spider Uhyre from Eirik's corpse, eyes glinting with malevolent glee.
"What are you planning?" Yareli said, her voice low and dangerous.
"Whatever I want. Terrorize!" Black flames surrounded the Niflhel leader as he transformed. His exoskeleton was pure white, a two-prong red stripe racing across his back. A viscous fluid dripped from his mandibles, burning through the pavement where it landed.
"What? His form is completely different!" Selim pounced toward her, but Yareli had her key ready. As lightning-fast claws whipped past her helmet. With a swift motion, she retrieved, her pendant.
"Henshin!" A fist struck the spider monster in the mandible face, but Selim only laughed as it bounced off.
"Yareli!" Johan cried out in horror when a casual strike of the spider monster's claws hurled Fenrir flying across the room, colliding with a wall with the force of a speeding truck.
"Amazing." Selim examined his claw, his hideous mandibles beaming with malevolent glee.
"Damn." Yareli's foot slipped as she struggled to stand, using a nearby pillar to support herself. As she reached for her sword, Yareli froze at the sound of approaching police sirens. Someone must have reported the gunfire.
Forgetting Selim, she darted toward Johan and his friends. Thankfully, the Niflhel leader had no interest in pursuing the fight.
"We need to leave now," Yareli said.
"You don't need to tell me twice!" Johan was already dashing up the stairs.
"We'll continue this later, Racer Wolf." The garage door crumbled to scrap as Selim's mighty claws slashed into it, exposing the night sky.
Great. Another new enemy. While the Niflhel getting their hands on the Uhyre Keys' technology was disastrous, flight came first.