A "Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons" story

By Chris Bishop

Chapter 4

At first, Blue had the impression that he was falling; but it was very brief, and he suddenly felt something solid underneath his feet, as if he had literally landed somewhere. A spell of vertigo hit him, at the realisation that he wasn’t lying down anymore but standing, and he swayed a little; his vision was still a blur, and he had to steady himself against a nearby wall so he would not fall. The wall was cold to the touch and rough – like a stone.

His eyes cleared and he found himself staring down into one of the stony corridors inside the Walhall Palace, crudely lit by torches, the flames casting shadows against the walls on which they were hanging. He still felt a little dazed, even strangely euphoric, but otherwise, he was fine. At least physically. He looked himself over; he was back in the garments he’d been wearing as a Viking prince.

Strange… why have I ended up standing here instead of Hodur’s chamber? he reflected inwardly.

And what was he to do now, with the knowledge he had recently acquired?

Before he could even decide on his next move, he heard animated voices, coming from behind, and footsteps approaching. He turned on his heels and saw, at the far end of the corridor, a group of warriors walking in his direction. They were talking in a lively manner, although in hushed tones. Amongst them, Blue recognised Green – in his persona of Heimdall, the captain of the guard – who suddenly noticed him and increased his pace. Blue went to him.

“My Lord Hodur…” Stopping in front of Blue, Green bowed slightly to him, before looking up in concern into his blue eyes. “So you have heard the news too?”

“What news?” Blue asked, with an inquiring frown.

“There has been an attack in Lord Balder’s room,” Green announced.

“An attack?” Blue automatically tensed. The thought that something might have happened with Rhapsody quickly went through his mind. “Who…? The Lady Nanna…?”

“Nay. The guards who arrived there first found the Lady Nanna and the servant maid Gerda in the room – with Lord Balder injured. They thought at first the Valkyrie was responsible, as she was holding a dagger – and Gerda accused her. But ’twould seem that it was the servant maid herself that attacked your brother – and Lady Nanna as well.”

“Balder was injured? Is he all right?” Blue asked in concern.

“He is, of course, and like his usual self, he asked to be left alone.” Green grunted, not noticing the questioning look on Blue’s features. “The servant girl has been apprehended, and taken to the dungeon,” he continued with obvious disgust in his tone. “Lord Balder wants her to be interrogated tomorrow. He seems to think that this idea to assault him and the Lady Nanna was not her own.”

“She might have been pushed to do this?” a perplexed Blue said pensively.

“That is what Lord Balder seems to think. But it was probably a fit of jealously on her part, my Lord. You know she was a favourite of your brother… She might not have taken kindly to being replaced by the Valkyrie.”

“Maybe…” Blue murmured. “And maybe not. In the meantime, see that she is not harmed.”

Green tilted his head to the side with perplexity. “Aye, my prince. It will be done. The servant maid has to be able to answer the interrogation tomorrow. She has a lot to answer for.”

Blue didn’t comment. He just didn’t want for any harm to come to ‘Gerda’ – and not only for the reasons ‘Heimdall’ seemed to imply. Then he would have to see what this new development was all about. If indeed she had been pushed to attack Scarlet, then he would have to discover by whom…

He had a good idea of his suspect, though.

“Is Balder still in his room?” he asked of Green.

“Aye – alone, aside from the Lady Nanna who stayed with him.” Green sighed deeply, shaking his head. “Your brother takes his gift far too much for granted, my prince. He might come to regret it, one day…”

“Yes… he might,” Blue agreed with a nod, his earlier suspicions about ‘Balder’ slowly turning into certainty in view of what Green was now telling him. “I shall go see if he’s all right then.”

“You know he will be, my Lord.” Green thumped Blue’s shoulder in a friendly manner. “But I am sure he will appreciate your visit.”

After a brief smile acknowledging Green’s comment, Blue left, walking with long strides in the direction of Balder’s chamber.

* * *

Seated on the side of the bed, watching over the unconscious warrior prince lying on top of it, and wiping away the beads of sweat forming on his pale brow, Rhapsody Angel couldn’t help the uncertainty and worry growing inside her, and she was pondering on what was happening around her. She wasn’t even sure of the identity of that man lying there, wounded, looking so much like the man she loved. He had called to her with Paul’s voice, said her name, and appealed for her help… Still, he had been acting so uncharacteristically unlike himself up until the moment he had fallen onto the bed, that she had trouble even conceiving it could be him.

She had no logical explanation for what was going on – aside from thinking she might be going thoroughly mad.

Rhapsody suddenly tensed when she heard a faint knock at the door. She was on her feet instantly, her hand reaching for the first weapon she could find at her disposal – the dagger from Balder’s belt, which he had left on a table nearby. She cautiously approached the door.

“Who is it?”

“Don’t worry, Rhapsody. It’s me, Blue.”

She blew a sigh of relief. Blue, he had said. Not ‘Hodur’, as the others were calling him. He was still, apparently, the man she knew him to be. And apparently, he also knew her for who she truly was.

This is getting terribly confusing… Maybe he’ll be able to explain to me what the bloody hell is going on.

She hurriedly pulled back the bolt and let the newcomer in, closing the door as soon as he cleared it. She locked it again, watching Blue as he turned to her. He was still dressed in the ancient, fur-like clothing, like all the others were, but his face and hair were as they were supposed to be. He gave her a concerned look, and took her by the shoulders, reassuringly.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” she said, presenting a brave façade.

“How about him?” Blue continued, walking toward the bed, to look down at Scarlet. “How is he?”

“Unconscious. Or sleeping, I couldn’t tell,” Rhapsody answered, following close behind Blue. “He’s been – we’ve been attacked. And he was stabbed – ”

“I know. I heard. Green told me.”

“Green?”

“Heimdall, actually,” Blue corrected. “He’s the captain of the palace guard…”

“Adam… I don’t understand what…”

“Has he been like this for long?” Blue interrupted. He knelt beside the sleeping Scarlet and took his hand, checking his pulse. It was beating steadily, if a little too fast.

“Two – three hours, I think,” Rhapsody answered. She watched him, as Blue gently examined the wound on the Viking’s torso. Blue grunted and nodded with some satisfaction. To Rhapsody’s eyes, he didn’t seem very surprised to find what he did. And what she already knew.

“He’s healing,” she said, stating the obvious.

“So I see,” Blue agreed.

“Like Paul would,” Rhapsody added, insistently.

“Yes.”

Blue’s answer was punctuated with a brief nod. Rhapsody stared at him with perplexity. “Aren’t you in the least bit surprised?” she asked, almost suspicious.

“No… to tell you the truth, I am not really surprised,” Blue admitted. “I already suspected it would be the case, after what I’ve heard so far… and what I knew of ‘Balder’. The one of legend, I mean.”

Rhapsody sighed again and approached, leaning down to his level.

“Adam, what’s going on?” she asked with urgency, for the second time freely using Blue’s first name. “This strange place… These clothes… All these people who look like members of Spectrum but don’t act like them… This ‘Balder’… At first, I thought he wasn’t Paul, but…”

“You saw he shares the same regenerative powers,” Blue remarked. “The dagger wound is almost closed…”

“Yes, I saw that,” Rhapsody admitted. “And then something else… Adam… He is Paul, isn’t he?”

Blue nodded carefully. “Yes,” he murmured. “Yes, he is.”

“I thought as much. He called my name earlier…”

“He what?”

“I thought it was delirium – when he was struggling against the fever from his wound. He called for help… using my name. He called me Dianne. His voice was Paul’s… so I knew then he was Paul. My Paul. Not that… barbarous Viking prince. So I imagine it means that all the others are the people we know too…”

“So subconsciously he remembers?” Blue reflected. “So the Mysterons were wrong, then?”

“The Mysterons?” Rhapsody almost shrieked, turning pale all of a sudden.

“It might be because of his unique metabolism,” Blue continued, barely hearing her. “This is almost un-hoped for. Did he say anything else?”

“Yes… He was trapped, he couldn’t move… He said something about ‘Ragnarok’…”

“Ragnarok?” Blue repeated with obvious surprise. “He mentioned Ragnarok?”

“He said we had to stop it… Adam, what does it mean –”

“He knows about Ragnarok,” Blue pondered, stroking his chin. “I wonder –”

“Adam, would you please tell me what’s going on?” Rhapsody demanded jerkily. “What happened to Spectrum? To Paul, the colonel, the Angels and…”

“All of Cloudbase,” Blue corrected suddenly.

“Excuse me?”

“Dianne – all of Cloudbase has been affected. Except, apparently, you and me. It’s the work of the Mysterons…”

Rhapsody grew tense, when Blue turned to her; her face became hard, realising he knew something he wasn’t telling her yet. “Captain Blue,” she said, a note of warning in her voice, “if you happen to have any idea of what’s going on, you’d better say it right away or – ”

“Please, Dianne.” Sensing she was about to lose her cool, Blue took her hands, wanting to calm her down. It did the trick, and he could see in her eyes that she was relaxing – if only a little. “Yes, I know what’s going on,” he confirmed. “I just found out. From the mouth of the one who is behind this…”

“Captain Black?” she offered tentatively. She shook her head, grunting. “Or ‘Loki’ – as he is called here, I believe…”

“No… It wasn’t Captain Black – either the real one or under his persona of Loki, in this world.” Blue sighed. “I’ve been to Cloudbase. I’ve talked with Technician Bromwell…”

“The man in charge of the Room of Sleep electronic maintenance?” Rhapsody said with perplexity. “But…”

“He’s a Mysteron agent now. He’s behind all this. He’s the one who did this to us.”

“Wait a minute, Adam…” Rhapsody shook her head in confusion. “You’ve been to Cloudbase… But you just said that Cloudbase –”

“I know what I said.” Giving Scarlet a last probing look, Blue got up, compelling Rhapsody to do the same. He looked deep into her concerned eyes. “Now I’ll explain it all to you,” he said, trying to keep his voice as calm as he could. “I might not have the time to explain all the details before Scarlet wakes up – although he looks as if he’ll be out for a good amount of time yet. I don’t know all of it, in any case, so I want you to listen carefully… The fate of everyone onboard Cloudbase may depend on our actions – yours and mine…” He gave a deep sigh. “You’ll have trouble believing all this, I assure you…”

* * *

“I can’t believe any of this.”

It took Blue almost an hour to tell Rhapsody about his meeting with Bromwell on Cloudbase and what he knew of their present situation. The young woman had shown her incredulity – almost thinking her companion was going mad. Yet, she couldn’t think of any better explanation for what was going on.

Her mind almost refusing to absorb and accept the truth, she had a need to sit down at the end of the bed – and had done so heavily, like someone who was so terribly tired; which she was in any case. When Blue had finished his tale completely, he found the Angel holding her head pensively, trying to take it in. He gave her a few minutes, while walking around the room. He checked on Scarlet again, still lying on the bed. He was apparently sleeping very soundly now, his breathing deep and regular, the colour back in his face. The wounds had disappeared completely by now, leaving only unblemished flesh, stained with dried blood. Satisfied that Scarlet would be okay, Blue went to stand next to the window. The wind coming down from the valley was cool and refreshing.

“I need a very stiff drink.” The voice behind made him turn. Rhapsody had let out a deep sigh, and was rubbing her brow. “But I guess getting completely drunk would not improve anything, would it?”

He offered a bashful, very thin smile. “It would certainly be comforting,” he admitted good-naturedly. “If nothing else… I’d advise against the ale, though. It’s positively awful.”

“The smell certainly is.” Rhapsody looked around in wonder. “So all of this – it’s only an illusion? How can this be possible?”

“I don’t know if it’s an illusion, in the sense we give to the word,” Blue muttered. “Or a dream. Or a subconscious world. Or another plane of existence - it’s real, as real as the Mysterons were able to make it.” He breathed deeply. “Even the air that we breathe. So pure. So vivid. Even these walls,” he said, slapping his hand on the stony surface of the window frame and turning to walk towards Rhapsody. “This furniture, these clothes we’re wearing… Even the meals – and the drinks…” he added with a new smile. He nodded towards Scarlet. “- And those thoughts they forced into the minds of our friends. They really believe who they are to be real.” He looked grimly at Rhapsody. “And that ‘reality’ could be as deadly as the one we know. We could all die here if we don’t do something about it.”

“I’m still not sure I can accept this, Adam,” Rhapsody replied.

“You have to believe it, Dianne.” He knelt in front of her. “You know as well as I do that the Mysterons have powers we can’t begin to understand. Surely, if it is possible to trap a whole group in a fantasy world like this one, then they can do it.” He lowered his voice. “And we have no other choice but to play along with their sick game. And we have to do this together, if we are to succeed.”

“I know, Adam. But it still seems so unbelievable…” Rhapsody’s hesitation only lasted one more second. She breathed out deeply. “But you know you can count on me to do my very best.”

“I never doubted it for a second,” he said with a faint smile.

“So – all we have to do to beat the Mysterons this time and come back to our own reality is to stop this ‘Ragnarok’ thing?” she asked.

Blue gave an approving nod. “The ‘Twilight of the Gods’, according to the Vikings. Armageddon. The end of all things.” He stood up and gestured toward the sleeping ‘Balder’. “The end of their world, where all of them are going to die.”

“And if their fantasy identities die in this world, their real bodies will die on Cloudbase,” Rhapsody said, remembering Blue’s earlier explanation.

“Even Paul,” Blue agreed. “If his subconscious dies I suppose even his indestructible body would have to follow, wouldn’t it?”

“Or so the Mysterons would hope,” Rhapsody reflected.

“I don’t think Bromwell was bluffing, Rhapsody. Or, at the very least, I don’t want to assume he was.”

“That’s understandable,” Rhapsody agreed. “I don’t want to either, it would be far too risky. Explain something to me though: if ‘Balder’ is as indestructible as Paul is – how could he be a victim of the Ragnarok too?”

Blue nodded, walking around pensively. “All this is based on Norse mythology,” he said, rubbing his chin. “Balder, Odin, Aesgard, the Valkyries… Ragnarok. This is all part of an enormous farce mounted by the Mysterons… They’ve created this world for the sole purpose of this threat…”

“I know a little of Viking legends from my classical studies,” Rhapsody remarked. “But I admit I can’t really call them to mind at the moment – and this is getting a little too complicated. This is not accurate, is it?”

“You might have noticed, this world is more or less like an ‘Earthly version’ of Aesgard,” Blue answered. “My grandfather told me a few of those sagas, when I was very young. And I read about them afterwards, so I did recognise the settings – and the ‘characters’ of this play. Although I don’t remember that the Valkyries had ever been enemies of Odin… The war between Vanirs and Aesirs is also part of more obscure myths… So I don’t know that subject very well…”

“You seem to know a little bit more than I do, though,” Rhapsody retorted with a faint smile.

Blue sighed, and came to sit right next to her, on the side of the bed. “Yeah, now I remember. But when I woke up earlier, it was all pretty confused… My mind wasn’t working properly. Probably because I was concussed during our… forced landing on Cloudbase. But everything is clearer now, thankfully. So I’ll be able to follow our situation more easily – and relate it to what happened in the sagas of the Norse gods.”

“Speaking of which… none of them seem to be ‘gods’,” Rhapsody remarked.

“They’re all obviously normal humans – except for Balder’s exceptional powers of recovery.”

“Which were part of the legend too, weren’t they?” Rhapsody noted.

“Yes, you’re right. For some reason, Balder was supposed to be invulnerable,” Blue agreed. “He was the only one of the Aesgard gods with that condition…”

Rhapsody nodded her understanding. “…Which would be why Paul found himself in that role.”

“Yes, he would be the obvious choice, wouldn’t he?” Blue scratched his head. “And I’m afraid there’s more. I think that Balder’s relative invulnerability plays an important part in the myth of Ragnarok itself…”

“In what way?” Rhapsody asked.

Blue grunted his frustration. “I’m not sure you’ll like to hear it… But according to the Norse legends, it might very well be Balder’s death that will bring about Ragnarok.”

Rhapsody stared blankly at him. “But if he’s invulnerable…”

“Practically invulnerable,” Blue interrupted her. “That’s my answer to your earlier question, Rhapsody: there is something – one weakness that can kill him.”

“It’s certainly not electricity,” Rhapsody remarked with dry humour.

Blue shook his head. “No – it’s yew – or mistletoe, depending on the versions of the story. Balder was killed with a weapon carved from it – quite accidentally, as it turned out. During a very silly game created by the gods – who were throwing all kind of objects at him, just to test his invulnerability.” He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully, while Rhapsody turned a concerned look on the still-sleeping Scarlet. “From then on, the Aesir gods realised their mortality… If the most invincible amongst them had been killed by something as simple and insignificant as mistletoe, then what chance did they have against Death? The forces of evil – led by the Ice Giants – also realised then that the Aesirs were vulnerable… and started making plans to attack and destroy them.”

“…And then came Ragnarok,” Rhapsody realised.

“Yeah, in a nutshell, that’s what happened.”

“Do you reckon it might also happen in this version?” Rhapsody asked in a worried tone.

Blue shook his head. “I would think unlikely that these very mortal Aesirs would be silly enough to take the risk of playing that stupid game with Balder…”

“I don’t know,” Rhapsody retorted doubtfully. “You have seen how they behave, haven’t you? They do seem a little… reckless, at times.”

“They do indeed,” Blue agreed, pensively. “But I don’t think I am.”

Rhapsody raised a brow. “What do you mean exactly?”

Blue hesitated a second. “According to legend,” he said finally, looking directly at Rhapsody, “the one who accidentally killed Balder with that fatal blow… was his own brother, Hodur.”

Rhapsody kept silent, letting the information sink in. Blue was observing her reaction; it was one of complete and unreserved denial. “Surely, the Mysterons don’t really expect that you would actually do that!”

“I don’t know what they expect,” Blue muttered darkly. “I do suspect that they sent me here with an ulterior motive – and that this motive… could very well be that they’re counting on me to recreate the events of the Norse legends, leading to the coming of Ragnarok.”

“Well, I believe they are deeply mistaken!” Rhapsody scoffed loudly.

“Well, I would say the same,” Blue answered with a thin smile. “I would not play that part of their game willingly, of that you can be sure. In fact, I will do everything in my power to avoid being put in the situation where they would expect me to actually kill Paul – or rather ‘Balder’. But I will have to be wary of Loki.”

“Captain Black,” Rhapsody uttered, with a brief nod. “Yes, well… This seems to be a very sensible precaution.”

“Especially when you know that, according to legends, Hodur was tricked by Loki into killing Balder,” Blue specified.

“Oh.” Rhapsody reflected upon that new revelation. “Even without taking that into consideration, I wouldn’t turn my back on him at any time,” she remarked coldly. “And I suspect that he might already have started causing trouble in order to bring Ragnarok forward.”

“Meaning?”

“The ‘servant girl’ Gerda, who attacked us?”

“Anna Preston,” Blue informed her.

“Yes, well… I thought I recognised her…” Rhapsody muttered in a bleak tone, thinking back to what the woman had been to ‘Balder’ in this fantasy world. She shook herself. Now was not the time to let herself be distracted by embittered thoughts. She nodded in Scarlet’s direction. “Anyway… he seemed to think that someone put her up to it.”

“Loki?” Blue asked, raising a brow.

“Well, he didn’t name him in that particular instance – but he did mention his name when he clashed with the woman earlier – and chased her away. I heard it all through the door.”

“Mmm…” Blue shook his head, pensively scrutinising the young woman. “This can’t be a very agreeable experience for you, can it, Dianne?”

“Because he’s acting like a boor?” Rhapsody said. “Well, I do realise now that he’s not really behaving like himself – nor is anybody else, for that matter.” She paused a few seconds. “But it is still a very unpleasant situation, I have to admit.”

“I thought as much,” Blue said, gently stroking her cheek. “You are acting very bravely, Rhapsody Angel. We’ll get through this. And every last one of them will come back to his normal self, you’ll see.”

Rhapsody acknowledged the encouraging words with a nod, before giving another scrutinising look towards Scarlet, over her shoulder. “Maybe he can help us?” she suggested.

Blue hesitated. “Bromwell told me that none of them would remember the real world as it is,” he noted. “And try as I might, none of them would believe me if I attempted to explain the truth. Yet,” he added in a more buoyant tone, ”you told me that after being injured, Paul called your name… that he seemed to be himself during his delirium…”

“Just before passing out, yes,” Rhapsody confirmed. “He also seemed to be aware of his situation… He said he was trapped…”

“And that he couldn’t move,” Blue said, repeating what Rhapsody had already told him.

“Is it possible that he might be impervious to – whatever the Mysterons’ve done to the others?” Rhapsody asked in a hopeful tone. “Or more specifically, that he’s coming out of it?”

They heard a groan coming from the object of their mutual attention; turning fully around, they saw Scarlet move. They exchanged an expectant glance, before getting to their feet and coming to stand beside the waking man.

“Maybe we’re about to find out,” Blue said wishfully.

They stood over Scarlet for a moment, watching as he slowly recovered his senses. He drew a deep breath, then opened his eyes, looking around with some confusion. Then he looked up to the two people he could see hovering above him. He frowned deeply.

“What are you doing here, brother?”

Blue just had the time to repress a frustrated sigh. Scarlet still had the same lilting, deep-throated accent he had shared with all the others since their conversion into ‘Viking warriors’ - he didn’t have that English-accented voice that Blue knew so very well.

He was still ‘Balder’.

“I heard what happened to you,” Blue answered, in a noncommittal tone. “Are you all right?”

“You should know the answer,” Scarlet replied, trying to push himself into a seated position. “As always, the same.” Blue gave him a hand, and pulled him up. Scarlet grimaced and reached for his belly.

“Still a little stiff, I see,” Blue commented.

“Please, Hodur, you can save the brotherly concern,” Scarlet grumbled. “You know it will be completely healed before long.” He looked down at the stained and torn shirt with disgust. “Still, another ruined tunic,” he muttered.

That made Blue smile despite himself. Now that was a typical Paul reaction.

“Since you look on your way to recovery, I’d better leave, then.”

“Aye. Do that,” Scarlet replied, raising a hand in dismissal. “Do you not have a wife waiting for you in your chamber? You have been waiting months to be reunited with her… You should not waste your time with me, and go to her instead.”

Blue nodded slowly, looking on as Scarlet supported himself on one elbow, rubbing his injured belly with his free hand. So, it appeared that ‘Balder’ knew about this previous union between Hodur and Iduna. Not that Blue was that surprised – he had suspected that he would know as much, from the hints he had already dropped earlier…

Blue turned around, motioning to Rhapsody to follow him to the door. She unlocked and opened it, and he went out, stopping just after the doorway to address her. “I think you’d better stay with him,” he whispered. “Keep your eye on him – he doesn’t seem quite all right…”

“No, he doesn’t,” Rhapsody agreed with a brief nod. She offered a faint smile. “I think I’ll be able to fight off his advances too.” He smiled back in answer, before her face took on a more serious expression. “And I’ll try to learn more about… him… and this Ragnarok that we should stop.”

“Any information we might find would be useful,” Blue agreed. “I’ll find out what I can from Karen…. Excuse me, Iduna.” He sighed. “That’ll take some getting used to. We’ll meet again later.”

“Tomorrow, more than likely,” Rhapsody observed.

“Right. Tomorrow. If you ever need any kind of help… Call for me.”

She shook her head. “It is quite late at night now – I don’t expect there will be any more ‘action’ tonight.”

“Wishful thinking,” Blue muttered. “I can do with a little rest. Tomorrow then.” He nodded his goodbyes, and Rhapsody nodded back in answer, before closing the door, and taking good care to lock it. Despite what she had just said to Blue, she didn’t want to run the risk of another attempted attack that night. Behind him, she heard Scarlet stir.

“You do not have to do what he asked of you.”

She turned on her heels. Scarlet had changed his position to a more comfortable one, and with a brusque gesture, was tearing the soiled shirt before pulling it over his head and throwing it onto the floor. He then grimaced, holding his aching belly. He tiredly waved towards the door. “My brother, Hodur… He told you to stay here, did he not? To make sure that I will be all right…” She slowly walked back to the bed, curiosity plain on her face, as he continued, quietly: “But you do not have to stay if you do not want to. Know that I am already grateful that you did defend me when I was down… and that you watched over me while I was unconscious. You are free to go if you choose to. We can… talk about us later.”

“I don’t want to leave, Lord Balder,” Rhapsody answered evenly. “I’ll be staying, if you don’t mind.”

He raised an inquiring brow. “And why should I mind?”

She watched as he raised his hand for the mug of water on the low table nearby, but found himself unable to reach it. She handed it to him. He gave a grateful nod, and drank greedily.

“He’s not really your brother, is he?” Rhapsody asked curiously.

“So now you are interested in me,” Scarlet noted in a mocking tone. “While a few hours ago you wanted nothing to do with me…”

“Don’t confuse curiosity with… ‘interest’, Lord Balder,” Rhapsody replied, raising a brow. “It’s not the same thing.”

“Aye. Just curiosity it is, then, Lady Nanna.” He nodded toward the closed door. “You have guessed well. But then again, you must have noticed that there is little resemblance between us, nay? We are not real brothers. We are blood brothers – Hodur, Thor and me. We have been chosen by Lord Odin as his heirs – we are the champion princes of Aesgard. But surely, you must already know that?”

“Doesn’t that cause any kind of conflict between you?”

“Conflict?” Scarlet repeated, frowning. “Nay… We are as close as brothers can be – although sometimes we fight, and argue, and we might feel like we would want to kill each other – we would give our life for the others. When the time does come – and may Hymir grant that it will be a long time from now – after Odin’s passing, the three of us will share the duties of the Throne of Aesgard.”

“How do you know Lord Hodur asked me to make sure you’ll be all right?” Rhapsody asked, watching him closely as he drank the rest of the water to the last drop.

Scarlet put down the beaker. “I know how he is – he is constantly watching out for me… Although it is not always necessary… for obvious reasons.” He scoffed loudly, but there was a fondness in his words that didn’t escape Rhapsody. She knelt next to the recuperating warrior. He frowned at her. “Why are you still here?” he muttered. “Are you not afraid of me anymore?”

“I never was afraid of you,” Rhapsody defended herself. “And as I said, Lord Balder, I am curious…” She looked down at his bare chest. There was no sign of injury on his flesh. “I heard about your… healing capacities.”

“You have never witnessed anything like this before, is that it?”

That would be a far stretch of the truth, Rhapsody mused inwardly, thinking back to the frequent times when she had actually observed Paul’s retrometabolism. Even when he was shaving in the morning, and nicked himself, it was always astounding to see the cut disappear in mere seconds.

This Paul would certainly need a shave, she added to herself.

“How did this happen to you?”

He grunted. “Do you not know the tale?”

She shook her head. “No. The… stories I heard about that aren’t clear.”

Scarlet sighed, rising to his feet. “It was… a gift from the Ice Giants.” There was derision in his tone when he said that, Rhapsody noticed. He gave a sigh and added, more evenly: “That much I know. I wish I could tell you more about it…” He went to the table, picked up the jug of ale, and drank from it heartily, before putting it down loudly. “That is better,” he gasped. “I was thirsty…” He looked over to Rhapsody, who was watching him with attention, waiting for the rest of his story. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “One day, I went hunting in the mountains with Loki, and… we encountered the Ice Giants.” He frowned. “I cannot recall most of what happened,” he admitted, taking a few steps towards Rhapsody, the jug in his hand. “I do remember losing track of Loki, and I went searching for him. Then a huge blizzard surrounded me, apparently coming from nowhere. Surely the work of the Ice Giants… You know they do evil magic, and use it to torment us ‘poor mortals’.” His tone was again bitter, but it was very brief, before it returned to normal, and he continued. “I was struggling against the wind and snow, trying to find my way back to Aesgard. But I was lost. And then I fell… a great distance… into a ravine, maybe, I could not say. That is the last thing I remember. I must have had a bad fall, because from then, it’s a total blank. When I came to, the blizzard was finished. I was lying on my back, in pain and unable to move, and Hodur was leaning over me. He took me back to Aesgard and then we discovered… this new ability of mine.” He grunted. “My back was broken. I should have died of my many wounds… but I did not. And I recovered. Completely. And ever since that day – I have been able to recover from any wound that befalls me.”

“And you say it was because of the Ice Giants that you now have that gift?” Rhapsody said in puzzlement. “But… you didn’t really see them?”

Scarlet laughed. “Lady Nanna, no-one can claim he has ever seen the Ice Giants – and if I ever did see them, I cannot recall any of it. They have caused my memory to fail me, obviously.” He paused a second, looking at her, and seeing the doubt on her features. “Who else could perform such a miracle?” he questioned, as if it was an obvious observation. “Loki and I were on their land. We must have encountered them. A raging blizzard, suddenly rising from nowhere, is the sign that they are walking the Earth; you should know that, Lady Nanna. And we were right in the middle of that terrible storm. We must have crossed their direct path.”

Rhapsody nodded slowly, not committing herself with a spoken answer. “So you say you encountered the Ice Giants…” she said pensively.

“Aye. Loki and I,” Scarlet answered, standing only a few feet from her. “We may be the only humans alive to have done so and live to talk about it. Although we can hardly say we are actually talking about it,” he added in an undertone. “So all there is to know about the Ice Giants still remains a mystery.”

So similar to what happened in real life, Rhapsody mused. Those Ice Giants – they might be the representation of the Mysterons in this fantasy world. Ever-present in these people’s lives, threatening – and yet of an unknown nature… And the way they interacted with Balder’s life, ‘giving’ him these healing capacities… He didn’t remember anything of his encounter with them. Much like Captain Scarlet with the Mysterons. She wondered about the fact that they might have forced his body – and mind – to do something he might not be aware of, like the Mysterons had done with Paul. Perhaps Hodur would know. But as Blue was his old self, and not really Hodur, there was little chance he would actually know what it was that Hodur experienced when he found Balder after his encounter with the Ice Giants.

And then there was Loki, who had the face of Conrad Turner – Captain Black – in this fantasy world. He must know what had happened, even if ‘Balder’ didn’t have a clue. But something in what Scarlet had just said made Rhapsody wonder if ‘Loki’ would indeed say anything on the subject.

“You mean Loki doesn’t talk about this experience you both had?”

Scarlet shrugged. “He claims that, like me, he does not remember anything about it.”

“ ‘Claims’… you don’t believe him.”

“A word of advice, Lady Nanna – if you are wise and cautious, you will not always believe what Loki says. Or rather: you will never believe what he tells you. Odin keeps him around for reasons of his own – but we have learned, to our cost, that Loki is not to be trusted.”

Rhapsody narrowed her eyes, pensively. Here again was a similarity with the real world – just like those Adam had already told her about earlier. But this one had a twist, however: while Conrad Turner had been a trusted man in the past – before becoming the unwilling agent of the Mysterons in recent years – it appeared that it wasn't quite that way with Loki. Although he still lived amongst the Aesirs, they had always regarded him with suspicion and mistrust, and it was highly possible that, just like the Loki of the Norse legends, he was plotting their downfall, a pawn of the Ice Giants, just as Black was for the Mysterons.

Or perhaps he was their accomplice…

“So since that fateful day, you can survive anything,” Rhapsody pondered, addressing Scarlet.

“So far I have,” Scarlet replied thoughtfully. “Though why the Ice Giants would give me that wonderful gift is a mystery. That surely was not what they intended. According to Lord Odin – it could only be an accident.”

“An accident, right,” Rhapsody mused, watching as he took another gulp from the jug. When he finished, he looked curiously at her.

“You mean to say, Lady Nanna, that you REALLY never heard this story before this night?”

“No, Lord Balder, I didn’t know about it.” Not THIS version, anyway, she added inwardly.

“How odd. I would have thought it would have travelled to the land of Vanaheim. Do you Vanir not know the enemies you meet on the field of battle?”

Rhapsody simply shrugged, and raised a brow, watching as he emptied the last of the ale, and then wiped his mouth again, grunting with obvious satisfaction. Not really as sophisticated as Paul… She wondered if he had gained the same resistance to alcohol as Paul had. It certainly looked as if that horrible drink he had swallowed was not having any effect on him right now…

“Your thirst too seems to have benefited from your encounter with the Ice Giants,” she remarked, narrowing her eyes.

He laughed with good humour. “Even Thor whose drinking capacity is renowned all over Aesgard cannot now defeat me,” he declared with no concealed pride. “As for my appetite…”

“I bet,” Rhapsody said in an aloof tone. “Your appetite for women too, I reckon…”

Scarlet looked closely at her. “Do I detect jealousy in the Lady Nanna’s fierce words?” he asked mockingly.

“The Lady Nanna isn’t keen on men who have the habit of forcing themselves upon women,” Rhapsody replied in an even colder tone.

He scoffed derisively and shrugged. “Why would Balder do that when he can have all the women he wants in Aesgard? I just have to choose amongst those waiting in line in front of my door, each hoping that she will be the lucky one.”

She took a sharp intake of breath. Now that was a remark she would never had expected from Paul; but coming from Balder – well she had to admit she wasn't really that surprised. “I am not of Aesgard, Lord Balder,” she remarked dryly enough.

“Nay. You are a fierce Valkyrie of the Vanir…"

No, I'm not, she answered inwardly. But she kept herself from saying it out loud.

"… But the agreement, my lady…"

“…Was not of my doing,” Rhapsody cut abruptly. “I didn’t agree to be your…” She searched for the right word to describe what he was thinking her to be, but found it a little too harsh for her liking. “… betrothed,” she finally said, instead choosing the expression himself had used earlier. “Neither Odin nor Freyja consulted with me when they came to this agreement.”

She kept on her guard when he approached more closely. He seemed to notice her edginess and carefully sat down at the foot of the bed, at some distance, looking at her.

“Vanaheim was vanquished, Lady Nanna,” he replied. “It is the spoil of the victor to choose the better part of the accord…” He gave an understanding nod. “As I said earlier, you were ordered by the duty tying you to your ruler. ’Tis the same for me, fair lady.” He reached to delicately stroke her forearm with the tips of his fingers, but this simple light touch was enough to make her shiver.

Or was it what he had just said?

“Indeed, the ‘spoil of the victor’ as you said, Lord Balder,” Rhapsody answered, shooting to her feet, and standing in front of him. “And you so… ‘enthusiastically’ leapt into this duty of yours... And that would make it right in your eyes? One would think that the noble Balder would not stoop so low as to…” She was interrupted by his loud laughing and stared down at him with a murderous look. “What are you laughing at?” she asked furiously.

“You, Lady Nanna,” he answered, repressing his laugh. “Or rather, I am laughing at what you just said. ’Tis quite amusing. ‘The noble Balder’? Where did you hear that from? Does it come from my brother Hodur, while he was trying to plead my cause to you, as I imagine he tried when he brought you back to Aesgard?” He chuckled, seeing her discomfited, yet still angry, face. “I have been called many things, my lady, but I do not recall ever having been called ‘noble’.”

Rhapsody lowered her eyes, a little embarrassed. “Please, stop calling me that.”

“Why ever not? You are what you are, Lady Nanna.” Taking advantage of the fact that she had lowered her defences, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down to him. Taken by surprise, she nearly lost her footing, but he caught her in his arms. “Does it make you feel uncomfortable? If so, then I will call you ‘my lady’ for the rest of my life, fair Nanna, if you would but let me…” He smirked at his own joke. “… If that would give me some advantage over you.”

Rhapsody was keeping him at a distance, as he looked into her face; almost despite her best judgment, she lost herself in those blue eyes gazing deep into her. She was fighting hard not to quiver, as she felt herself softening. “The only thing that’s making me uncomfortable,” she said, trying to render her tone as firm as she could, “is the way you are now holding me.”

He raised an amused brow. “Is that so? Then maybe I should always keep you like that… my lady.”

She could feel the strength in his arms, as if they wouldn’t let her go. But strangely, she also had the impression that it would now take only one word from her for them to open up and free her – despite what he had just said.

How easy it would be to just let go and abandon herself to his embrace. It was Paul, after all, even though he didn’t remember.

Maybe if she could make him remember…

“Lord Balder,” Rhapsody said tentatively, “do you recall… anything that you said to me earlier? After you had been injured and you lay in your bed?"

"If I told you you were the most beautiful woman on Earth, then I meant every word of it," he answered, leaning to kiss her neck.

She had to fight hard not to giggle, and pushed him back, keeping him at bay again. She didn't try to escape from his arms, though. "Can't you be serious for one minute?" she asked with a falsely irritated frown.

"But I am serious, my lady," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes and a mocking smirk on his lips.

Rhapsody nearly rolled her eyes. Now he’s sweet-talking me… Just like Paul would, only he would be more subtle than that…

"Does the name ‘Dianne’ mean anything to you?” she tried again.

He gave a frown, thinking. “That is a Roman name, is it not? A woman’s name?” She nodded in agreement. “I do not recall anyone by that name,” he said, with a shake of his dark hair. “As I do not recall any other woman I may have known during my life…”

“You’re going to say it is only me that is important to you now?” she asked doubtfully.

"Aye, woman… That is the absolute truth…" And he leaned for another attempt to kiss her. His lips did succeed in reaching her neck this time.

He really has a one-track mind, Rhapsody reflected. She kept back a frustrated sigh. Clearly, he didn't remember anything at all, and at the moment, didn't even seem to want to listen to anything she was telling him. "Stop that, please," she said in annoyance, trying to push him back again. "You are worse than a vampire!"

"You do not like it?" she heard him ask with an obvious hint of amusement in his tone. "I only seek to give you pleasure, Lady Nanna…"

"Maybe it would be more… pleasant for me, if you would concentrate a little," she growled.

"I am concentrating…" was the answer the struggling and annoyed Rhapsody heard through what sounded like a mouthful.

"Not on that!" With a boost of strength, she shoved him away again and found herself, panting, looking straight into his smiling blue eyes. She had the definite feeling that she would not have been able to push him off, if he had not decided to let her. He was still keeping his hands around her, holding her almost at arm’s length. She raised her index finger. "Now try to keep up with me," she demanded, trying to sound patient.