She sounded hopeful, maybe bordering on desperation.

Jason hated the thought of disappointing her-maybe disappointing them all. They'd each had their share of trauma today. Perhaps taking some time to regroup, and reflect, might be the only thing to keep them together in the days ahead.

"Yeah," he finally answered. "Then we get some down time."

Even though the words left his mouth, he found them hard to believe. How much down time could exist in these battered and bleeding worlds?

PART TWO.

Homecoming.

1.

Reunion.

Jason tugged his hood further down and pulled the cloak tighter around his body.

While Asgard's flat plains were at first enthralling, he now found their sameness boring. Lacking hills and other geographic features, the wind whipped along without a break, gaining speed and dropping in temperature with every mile. Reaching these northern areas, the cold and speed reduced the carpets of green gra.s.s to straw in the best places. Dead, barren ground, covered the not-so-best places.

Caelum hovered over a shortwave radio, headphones pressed against his head. He was entranced, like the machine was spouting religion.

"The Aesir are bombing South Sector Five," he said.

Brandt shook his head.

"d.a.m.n. That's the third subjugation a.s.sault this month. Woten's upping the pace."

"Because he knows he has us by the throat," Marie said.

Caelum pulled the headphones off and clicked the power switch on the radio. He stuffed the gear in his pack.

"It seems wrong, just sitting out in the middle of this field, staring at a Bifrost fragment, when those people need help. We don't even know for sure if it leads to our Earth."

"Are you saying you don't trust her?" Jason asked. "Because I'm risking our lives on her say so."

Caelum put on his pack and got to his feet.

"I'm just saying we've spent seven years on this planet, and I don't think we're any further ahead. How many more people will we listen to die? How many more will we actually see? I'm tired of never moving forward."

Jason tore a piece of the dead earth and chucked it violently.

"You know that's why we're here," he said. "Right now, we barely have an army. And the army we have can hardly stand."

"We could just stay home and forget this place," Brandt said, his arms folded tight across his chest. He stared at the Bifrost fragment stone faced.

The words hung in the air unopposed-even considered.

"I won't stop you if that's what you want," Jason said. It came out so weak, he wondered if they'd heard. If any of the three did, none said so.

After another minute of silence pa.s.sed, Brandt groaned, stretching his arms up and behind his head.

"Whatever. At least we know the a.s.sholes on this planet." He nodded toward the Bifrost. "Who knows what they're like over there."

"Still, a way home," Marie said. "I'd given up hope of ever finding one."

"Is it home anymore?" Jason asked. "I think any idea of home stopped existing the second we entered that bleed through."

"My parents might still be alive," Caelum said.

Jason moved to him, placing his hand on his shoulder. He worried Caelum might shrug it off, but he didn't even flinch.

"I'm sorry," Jason said. "I sided with Fenrir because Katsuro sacrificed himself for us. I just thought we could help them while we searched for a way home-a way back to the people...we left. After the first two years, this just became my life. Sometimes I forget maybe you guys aren't like that. I'll say it again, I won't stop anyone who wants to stay there."

Caelum shook his head. "No. We chose to join Fenrir too. And it wasn't because you forced us or guilted us-it was because it seemed right. We're just as bad as Woten if we abandon these people now."

Marie and Brandt both wore weak smiles, but nodded their agreement.

"Do you think Woten even knows about this fragment?" Marie asked.

"Probably," Jason said, "There was the rumor Woten had operatives on Earth. I wouldn't be surprised if they used this fragment."

"So..." Marie turned her head, scoping out the area. "Where are the guards? Woten wouldn't leave a way onto Asgard unprotected."

"No, he wouldn't. Maybe that's the handiwork of our benefactor," Jason replied. "Which means we've got a short window of opportunity. When those guards fail to check in, this place will be crawling with Einherjar."

"Which begs the question, why are we still waiting?" Caelum asked.

"That would be my fault," a newcomer's voice said. "And no, Woten doesn't know about this particular fragment. It wouldn't be very helpful for our return trip if he did."

She'd appeared out of nowhere. Jason had been staring at the Bifrost remnant the whole time, so she hadn't come through there. And nothing but flat land surrounded them-they would've seen her coming from miles away.

"Adrastia," Jason acknowledged. "I was starting to worry you'd ditched us." He nodded toward the fragment. "So this is one even Woten doesn't know about? So the rumors of him having operatives on Midgard are false?"

"I didn't say that. I just said he didn't know about this one. I had to make sure we'd be able to get back without a fight, didn't I? Besides, when have Valkyries or Einherjar needed Bifrost fragments to travel between worlds?"

The little time Jason spent with Adrastia in Ansuz, she'd been Alice. Seven years dulled his memory of her features, but from what little he recalled, she looked identical. He couldn't say the same for themselves. None of them were gifted with immortality-or if they were, it hadn't kicked in.

Adrastia even wore an outfit reminiscent of their old Suture uniforms. The remaining members of Ansuz tried to keep the suits in workable condition. Too many battles left them in tatters. They now wore the stiff camouflaged uniform all members of Fenrir wore-little more than fabric and a Kevlar-like vest to protect them against normal ordinance and Veil weaponry. Jason wondered if the old Suture bunker was still in one piece. Would there still be supplies? Maybe they could find better armor and weapons.

Not that it would matter, given the current state of their troops.

Everything hinged on this mission.

All they had to do was help Adrastia get what she wanted.

Her appearance in the Fenrir bunker five days ago was the first on Asgard since she'd plunged into the Veil with Cain. Seven years pa.s.sed without a sign of either. But there were other worlds where a person could hide.

"I have a favor to ask you," she'd said. "And in return, I will put you closer to obtaining Takeda's Solution."

"And if we refuse?" Jason asked.

He still recalled Brandt's look of shock, and maybe even a little fear.

In the years following their escape from Valhalla, the others told Jason what happened in the bleed through during the event known as the Cataclysm. Adrastia saved them and demonstrated a power equal to any Anunnaki they'd seen. He guessed Brandt worried his flippant behavior might bring Adrastia's wrath on them.

He didn't care.

Fenrir was fighting a losing battle, against the same foes she supposedly opposed. If she was so strong, where had she been? Why not help them? And regardless of her actions in saving the other members of Ansuz, she'd sold he and Gwynn out to the Valkyries.

"Then I will leave and do it myself. Meaning any hope of obtaining Takeda's Solution will elude you."

Her mouth looked serene, but her eyes challenged him.

She knows exactly what our situation is, Jason thought, there's no way I could turn down even a chance at getting Takeda's Solution.

"Fine," he answered. "We'll help you."

"Good."

Her face slid too easily into a friendly smile.

Yes, she knew things would go her way from the start.

As she laid out her plans, Jason felt a growing sense of antic.i.p.ation and enthusiasm from his team-a return to Earth. Well, their Earth. All worlds concerning them were an Earth at some time, or another. Though this earth was only Asgard, and their's was more commonly referred to as Midgard.

After the Cataclysm, Woten sent the Valkyries into the Veil to investigate. They reported of the trillions of alternate realities once existing, only nine remained. Based on their cursory observations of those worlds, Woten and his lieutenants a.s.signed a name from the Norse cosmology to each.

That information, and news of Takeda's Solution, were some of the last Fenrir received from their spies inside Valhalla. Jason didn't know if they were imprisoned, dead, or just unable to communicate.

Fenrir's a.s.sault on Valhalla caused an upsurge in security. Jason feared Woten possessed someone who could discover the true intentions of everyone in his service. No, he was positive Woten had her. It explained the missing spies and the illness affecting Fenrir's non-Anunnaki.

Adrastia said, "We should go," bringing Jason's thoughts back to the present.

Jason gripped her arm, preventing her from leaving through the Bifrost.

Each of the other members of Ansuz took a quick, panicked, intake of air.

"Before we go, tell me why you came to us. You said you'd do this yourself-and based on what the others tell me, you could. So why? Why involve us at all?"

Her expression remained serene and unreadable.

"Truthfully," she hesitated, "I don't need you. The wards Osiris placed around Egypt are laughable. I could pa.s.s in and out before his forces notice. Which is why we're going to Egypt, not Chicago. But I also know you need Takeda's Solution. I can't just obtain it for you, you'll need to get it through more...conventional means. That's why you're coming. If everything goes as planned, it should accomplish both things."

"But why? Why care if we need the Solution?"

Her lips quivered for a moment, then turned up in the slightest of smiles.

"Because I chose sides when I decided to save your friends." She nodded toward Brandt, Caelum, and Marie. "We need to destroy Woten, which can't happen unless you have the Solution. Is that good enough?"

Jason released her arm.

"Good enough. For now."

He looked over Adrastia's shoulder to Marie.

"Double time it through. Scope it out and report back."

She didn't respond, just disappeared.

Less than a minute later, she returned.

"The Bifrost comes out in a housing development. It looks abandoned. There's plenty of cover. No hostiles anywhere in sight."

"Is that your doing?" Jason asked Adrastia.

She nodded.

"As we discussed, your world has been seized by the Pantheon of old G.o.ds who used to be Suture. Osiris rules over Egypt. He owes me a favor."

"How big a favor could he owe you?" Brandt asked. "I mean, he's just letting us waltz onto his home turf."

Adrastia gave Brandt a hard look.

"You tell me, Brandt. What do you owe me for saving your life?"

Brandt gave a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, uh, sure. Ok. I get it."

"Still," Adrastia continued, "we should move. His hospitality will only last so long. And we need to be in position before his betrayal sets in motion."

"We're counting on betrayal to get what we need," Jason said. "Are you sure it'll happen if he owes you so much?"

"Oh, have no fear, it'll come."

They entered the Bifrost, coming out in the development Marie mentioned.